Derbyshire motorist caught with weapons in his car in Sheffield spared from jail

Sheffield Crown Court heard on August 18 how Guy Stapleton, aged 27, of St Augustine’s Rise, Boythorpe, Chesterfield, attracted the attention of police as he was revving his car engine on Gervase Avenue, Greenhill, Sheffield.

Brian Outhwaite, prosecuting, said: “They heard a car engine revving loudly and saw the defendant in the driver’s side of the vehicle trying to move it and there was a problem with the tyre pointed out by the officers and the defendant’s behaviour raised concerns.”

Mr Outhwaite added a breath sample was requested and Stapleton began pacing up-and-down and flailing his arms and as police struggled to handcuff him he swung out and struck an officer.

Stapleton was pursued and caught, according to Mr Outhwaite, but the same officer who had been struck also broke a finger as they tried to detain him.

The defendant’s vehicle was searched and three weapons were found and he told police he had taken cocaine and tablets and claimed he had no idea who the weapons belonged to.

Stapleton, who has previous convictions, pleaded guilty after the incident in May, 2019, to assaulting and resisting an officer, to possessing a knife and two offensive weapons which were two bats.

Richard Barradell, defending, said he is a nervous man who is getting his life in order.

Judge David Dixon sentenced Stapleton to six-months of custody suspended for 18 months with a rehabilitation activity and 80 hours of unpaid work.