Policeman threatened with hunting knife

A MAN lunged at a police officer with a 12 inch hunting knife after a chase through Warrington.
Later, the officer admitted he had never been so scared in his life, Warrington Crown Court was told.
Neil Dolan, 24, admitted causing an affray and was jailed for 12 months.
David Jones, prosecuting, said Dolan and other men were spotted on CCTV outside Warrington bus station. One appeared to have a knife.
PC Robin Swainbank went to the scene and challenged the group.
Dolan ran off towards Warrington Central railway station, despite the officer CS gassing him in the face.
PC Swainbank gave chase but Dolan produced the knife and the officer retreated before being joined by another officer.
Later he said: “He held it like a dagger and lunged towards me. I was the most scared I have ever been in my entire life.”
Dolan eventually threw the knife onto a low level roof near the station and it was later recovered by a member of the station staff.
At the time of the offence, Dolan was on licence for a four-year jail term he received in 2004 for conspiracy to steal a vehicle.
Michael Davies, defending, told the court Dolan only had the knife on him because he had found it prior to the incident. He never intended to do the officer any harm and was only in Warrington to visit a friend who had suffered a bereavement.
Dolan had been making efforts to turn his life around by seeking employment and looking to start a family with his partner.
Recorder Nicholas Grundy told the defendant: “You used a knife to threaten a police officer at night and have given no reason for having the knife in your possession, other than the relatively weak excuse that you found it. The offence is so serious that a custodial sentence is inevitable.”