Criminal armed with knives, saw and Donald Trump mask jailed after 'erratic and alarming' behaviour

A son who lay in wait near his father’s allotment armed with knives, a saw and a Donald Trump mask is behind bars after frightening his family.
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Keith Mills, 35, was found with the weapons – and the disguise – as he lurked in a scrap van near the Hill Park estate in Jarrow after a chilling warning to a relative that he was going to deliberately damage his dad’s allotment following a long-running family feud.

Police officers then found that metal railings at the edge of the allotment plot had been damaged, with Mills later found in the driving seat of his van nearby, with the engine still running.

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A search of the vehicle revealed the knives, the saw and the mask.

Keith Mills, left, and the Donald Trump mask.Keith Mills, left, and the Donald Trump mask.
Keith Mills, left, and the Donald Trump mask.

On the day of the incident, which took place on Tuesday, May 14, Mills was also spotted rummaging through wheelie bins on Stanley Street, also in Jarrow.

Prosecutors claim this was an attempt to find out where his father, from whom he is estranged, lived.

Mills, of Pine Street, Chester-le-Street, pleaded guilty to possession of a knife in a public place and possession of an offensive weapon at a Newcastle Crown Court hearing in September last year.

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And on Thursday, January 16, he was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment and an indefinite restraining order which bans him from contacting his victim.

The knives and the Donald Trump mask.The knives and the Donald Trump mask.
The knives and the Donald Trump mask.

In a statement, Mills’ father told the court that he loved and missed his son, but was “absolutely terrified of him”.

PC Judith Holtham, of Northumbria Police, said: “Mills’ behaviour on that morning was erratic and alarming.

“His actions understandably caused a great deal of distress to members of his family and frightened his father, who feared for his life.”

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She added: “It is totally unacceptable – under any circumstances – to carry a knife and we are committed to ensuring anybody who is found in possession of these weapons is rightly brought to justice.

“Mills now must deal with the consequences of his actions, and I hope this conviction makes him consider the impact that his selfish behaviour can have on others.”