February 04, 2010

Shoplifting leads to knife confrontation in mall

By Anne Clarkson

Shoplifting one earring led to a knife-wielding confrontation in a suburban mall and nine charges for a 19-year-old sentenced in the Christchurch District Court today.

Jamie Richard Meadows was caught by security staff at the Farmers in Northlands Mall but while the police were being called he cut the telephone line with a knife he was carrying.

He swung the knife at the security man and ran out of the mall with two security staff following.

He ran to another person who was holding a phone, told her to hang it up and swung the knife at her throat. He threatened to kill her, but ran off again.

When approached by a police dog handler he produced two knives and had one in each hand. He went up to the dog handler and when told to drop the knives he ran off.

He tried to stab the dog when he was caught. He cut the dog handler’s hand and slashed a hole in his jacket.

When Meadows was caught, he had the earring on him.

He was being sentenced on charges of threatening to kill, possession of offensive weapons, two aggravated assaults, three assaults with a weapon, attempting to kill the police dog and theft. He had pleaded guilty.

Defence counsel Kerry Cook said Meadows, who has an intellectual disability, had written a letter of apology to the victims, the policeman, and the police dog.

He said reparation was being sought for the telephone and the dog handler’s jacket.

Judge David Holderness said the victim impact reports showed the serious effects of the incident upon the victims, and ordered destruction of the knives.

He ordered Meadows to be held in compulsory secure care for two years and said there would be a review of the secure status in six months.

He said he was not making a reparation order.