A MAN has been jailed after threatening to ‘slash’ police officers with a broken glass bottle.

Dale Waterworth, from Lymm, made the threats to officers who were attempting to stop him from self-harming during an incident in the early hours of the morning.

On Friday, November 16, he was jailed at Chester Crown Court after admitting affray.

The court heard that the 25-year-old’s partner called the police to her home on Gregory Close in Old Hall at around 2am on Saturday, August 18.

When officers arrived at the scene she was not present, but Waterworth was stood at the front door.

He slammed the door shut, but they entered the property and found the defendant in the living room.

Waterworth, of White Clover Square, said: “Don’t come anywhere near me or I’ll slash my throat.”

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The defendant then moved towards the officers, who retreated from the property as they believed they were about to be attacked and thought the defendant was armed.

As they called for assistance, he appeared at the window of their police car ‘shouting and screaming’.

When backup arrived, police found that Waterworth had broken several glass bottles and was sat on a sofa threatening to self-harm.

He held the glass to his neck and said: "Have you ever seen anyone murdered before?

"Come near me and see what happens – I’ll slash my throat and slash you."

Waterworth then cut his own arm with a broken bottle and was arrested.

Defence barrister Brett Williamson told the court: "While his actions may have been intended to threaten injury to himself, he was also threatening to the police officers who were trying to help and assist him.

"He is ashamed and remorseful for his actions – he is an entirely different character to how he behaved on this occasion."

Waterworth’s actions also put him in breach of a suspended six-month prison sentence handed down by Warrington Magistrates Court in June for threatening behaviour.

The defendant – who also has convictions for possession of a knife and theft – was jailed for 16 months by judge Simon Berkson and told to pay a victim surcharge.

Sentencing, judge Berkson said: "This was a serious offence.

"You were threatening your own life with a broken bottle in front of police officers, who had a duty to stop you doing what you wanted to do.

"They were at risk of injuring themselves because you were verbally and physically threatening towards them.

"It’s clear to me that you were not in a stable frame of mind and you were upset for a number of reasons – you have suffered badly with mental health problems due to substance abuse and deep-rooted issues.

"But you have built up a number of previous convictions in a short period of time, and this offending took place during a suspended sentence order.

"I can’t ignore that today."