Husband threatened to set himself alight during Ronkswood siege

Officers were called by a neighbour in Westminster Road when Kamil Czado had a noisy argument with his wife after she got back from a holiday in August this year, Worcester Crown Court heard.

Czado’s wife left the flat and he shut himself in, shouting and swearing at the police outside, Michael Conry, prosecuting, told the court.

He appeared at the window with a petrol container and a cigarette lighter and said he would set himself on fire.

A trained police negotiator was called in as the 30-year-old barricaded himself in and poured petrol around the entrance to the ground floor flat. He also threatened to rip out a gas pipe.

“He said he would splash petrol on himself and there would be an explosion which would blow up the flats,” Mr Conry said.

He also said he would set his dog on them and appeared again at the window with an eight-inch kitchen knife while he carried on being aggressive, Mr Conry said.

Czado was finally persuaded to calm down. He told police he had had an argument with his wife and had not expected officers to arrive. He pleaded guilty to affray.

Richard Hull, defending, said Czado had been drinking on the day. He had been in custody since the incident on August 16 and had been getting medical treatment for depression.

He has now separated from his wife and had been offered a place to live with a friend in Martley Road, Worcester, on his release.

Mr Hull said he was also hopeful of finding work through an agency.

Judge Robert Juckes QC said Czado had set up “a type of siege” and made serious threats. It had turned into an “extraordinarily difficult” situation for police to handle after they had been threatened with the dog and knife.

He said Czado had been in custody already for the equivalent of a seven-month sentence and he was given 12 months suspended for two years with a rehabilitation activity requirement of 30 days.