Sunderland man threatened to ‘slice’ police officers

Daniel Kassim, 30, of Sunderland’s Echo Building, pleaded guilty to two charges of sending the menacing messages by telephoning the officers.

Clare Irving, prosecuting, said the two police officers were both contacted by Kassim while on duty and he said he was going to wait for them after work.

She said the defendant claimed his clothes and furniture had been damaged during a search of his property and he blamed the two officers, although one of them wasn’t there and the other was not involved with the search.

Ms Irving said on June 26 this year the first officer was on duty when he got a message saying the defendant wanted to speak to him and when the call was put through Kassim started shouting.

She said: “The defendant said ‘I am going to slice and cut you up’.”

The defendant went on to contact the second officer.

Ms Irving read out his statement, which said: “He began to shout and make threats.

“He was going to come to the station and 5pm and slice me up.

“He said he wasn’t bothered about being arrested and he wasn’t worried about going to prison.

“It was a promise that he was coming to the station to get me and to watch out.”

Tom Morgan, defending, said Kassim has significant mental health issues.

He said: “The defendant went through a period where he was effectively ejected from his usual GP’s and was without medication, which he takes regularly and which he needs and the result was a significant impact upon his mental health.”

Mr Morgan said there was no outcome from the search of the property and his client was upset by the damage.

He said Kassim accepted making the threats, although he has no recollection of it because he was off his medication at the time.

Kassim was given a nine-week prison sentence, suspended for 24 months, and ordered to pay each of the officers £50 in compensation, £210 costs and a victim surcharge of £115.