COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

It all followed a pre-planned arrest in the early hours



A Coventry road was cordoned off for nearly all of Thursday as police were locked in a stand-off with a male suspect after he threatened to harm himself.

West Midlands Police officers were stationed at an address on Briscoe Road, in Holbrooks, from around 3am after a suspect refused to co-operate during a pre-planned arrest.

A large number of officers, including some in riot gear and the police dog unit, remained at the property in to the evening, while negotiators had also been speaking to the man.

A statement from West Midlands Police said: “Officers went to make a pre-planned arrest at an address in Briscoe Road, Coventry, at around 3am this morning.

“A man inside the property has refused to co-operate with officers and made threats to harm himself.

“No-one else is believed to be in the property and trained negotiators are currently trying to talk with the man. The road is sealed off while officers deal with the situation.”

During the afternoon five police cars and two police vans could be seen at the scene, along with an ambulance parked around the corner on standby.

A spokesperson for West Midlands Ambulance said: “We have an ambulance there, standing by at a nearby rendezvous point. We have medics standing by, should the police require assistance.”

A resident who lives in one of the properties inside the cordon said: “I didn’t hear anything in the night. I just woke up and saw all the police cars.”

As the incident neared its 12th hour a catering van with supplies of food and a portable toilet arrived at the scene.

Part of the road, which is near to John Shelton Primary School, was closed to both pedestrians and vehicles from the early hours but the school remained open.

This is the face of Coventry man jailed after 24-hour stand-off with police



This is the face of the Coventry man who attacked police and then barricaded himself inside a house for 24 hours.

Paul Messam was wanted for two vicious attacks on his then-girlfriend having punched, slapped and stamped on her, as well as shoving a stuffed toy in her mouth to silence her screams.

When police arrived at the home in Holbrooks, 44-year-old Messam threw furniture and a large vase at them, and also swung a metal pole which injured one of the officers.

Messam then went to grab a knife and this forced officers to retreat and negotiators were called in and a stretch of Briscoe Road cordoned off.

He was eventually arrested in the early hours of February 9 and charged with assault with intent to resist arrest and criminal damage following the siege, and two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm for the attacks on his partner a few days earlier.

Messam, of Grafton Street, Lower Stoke, admitted all the charges and was jailed for two years and eight months at Warwick Crown Court last week.