A 25-YEAR-OLD man assaulted two security officers who dragged him off the parapet of a multi-storey car park and stopped him jumping to his death.

Blackburn magistrates heard Nathan Lee Thompson resented their intervention at the time because he was at a low ebb and wanted to take his own life.

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But speaking after the court case he said he wanted to publicly thank them for what they had done.

"If they hadn't been there and done what they did I wouldn't be alive now, it is as simple as that," said Thompson.

"I had gone up there to jump and it was only their intervention that stopped me. They put themselves at risk to save me and I can't thank them enough. I had a lot of personal problems at the time but now I am in a better place and I can look forward thanks to them."

Thompson, of Carter Street, Accrington, pleaded guilty to assaulting Munir Qureshi and Hassan Iqbal. He was made subject to a community order for 18 months with a 25 day rehabilitation activity requirement and ordered to pay £85 costs and £85 victim surcharge.

Alex Mann, prosecuting, said the security guards went to Thompson's assistance when he was standing on the parapet of the third floor of the Arndale Centre in Accrington threatening to jump.

"When they tried to stop him he fought with them and Mr Qureshi suffered an injury to his knee," said Mrs Mann. "Police officers who arrested him said he was aggressive with them and on his way to the police station tried to hang himself with a sock and a shoe lace."

Mrs Man said on a previous occasion one of the victims had said to a prosecutor: "Why can't you give him a break, he was trying to kill himself."

"To their credit they were more concerned about the defendant than themselves," said Mrs Mann.

Jonathan Taylor, defending, said it hadn't been a case of Thompson contemplating taking his own life, he was actually trying to do it," said Mr Taylor. "He clearly owes the security guards a debt although he didn't see it that way at the time. They didn't deserve to be treated the way they were but he wasn't thinking straight at the time."

District Judge Lewis Jones said it had been a balancing exercise but he had decided not to send Thompson to prison.

"I don't know what was going through your head when you were sitting on the parapet of the Arndale Centre," said District Judge Jones. "What is clear is that the security staff who went up on the roof that day saved your life. They stopped you from throwing yourself off and robbing your child of the possibility of a relationship with her father."

District Judge Lewis asked the prosecutor to pass on to the Chief Constable his recommendation for a commendation for the security officers.

"They were brave and their actions reflect very well on them," he said.