POLICE attempted to hit the man behind a 16-hour Boxing Day siege in Louth with stun guns on seven occasions – and missed every time, a court was told.
However, a spokesman for Lincolnshire Police said a stun gun was deployed only once successfully and that another device which emits a number of loud bangs to distract suspects was also used.
Details of the stand-off at the property of Keddington Crescent emerged yesterday after Gary Ward, 57, now of Pontefract, West Yorkshire, admitted affray at Lincoln Crown Court.
As reported, armed police were called to the property shortly before midnight on Christmas Day after being contacted by the man's concerned relatives.
Ward, a long-distance lorry driver, had drunk several bottles of wine and armed himself with a meat cleaver and a knife, after his wife told him their 29-year marriage was over.
Phil Howes, prosecuting, said Ward had shouted threats to officers that he would kill anyone who tried to get him out of his Louth home and also threatened to harm himself.
He said: "Ward was holding a knife and he was self-harming.
"He was shouting threats that he would kill himself if people came too close and said he would kill anyone who came in to try to get him out.
"He was howling, crying and shouting at the top of his voice."
Armed police were called to the scene as Ward's behaviour became more erratic and a trained negotiator attempted to bring the stand-off to an end before officers forced their way in shortly before 4pm on Boxing Day.
He was then taken to hospital.
Speaking in mitigation, Neil Sands said Ward was "exhausted" as he was working 70-hour weeks at the time of the incident.
He said: "Everything got on top of him and he turned to drink.
"He acted utterly out of character.
"He started drinking. He is not a drinker. He picked up a bottle of wine and started drinking.
"When it was empty he picked up another one.
"What then happened was that he took himself hostage. He was saying he would hurt himself.
"He has no recollection of wishing to harm any police officer.
"At the end he came out through the unlocked back door.
"Seven Tasers were fired at him, but all of them missed."
Sentencing him to 12 months in prison suspended for two years, with two years supervision, Recorder Nigel Daly told him: "This was totally out of your normal character.
"You were effectively out of control.
"You had armed yourself with these weapons and whether you intended to use them on yourself or not there was a real risk that when officers tried to get you out you would use the weapons.
"This was effectively a siege for an extended period of time."
