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12
Jul 2023
Ripon man jailed after attempting to stab Wetherspoon's bar worker
A notorious Ripon man tried to stab a Wetherspoon’s bar worker with a table knife after warning police that he was “going to kill somebody”.
John Flannagan, 38, was causing trouble at The Unicorn pub in Ripon Market Place and when a brave bar stewardess tried to calm him down, he lunged at her with a knife, York Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Kelly Clarke said the named bar worker had been trying to reason with Flannagan, but he responded by picking up two pint glasses and smashing one of them on the bar.
Ms Clark added:
Flannagan, knife in hand, then lunged at the bar worker and made a “haymaker-style” swipe at her with the blade, which missed.
Ms Clarke said:
'If you don’t come and get me, I’m going to kill somebody'
In the run-up to the incident, police received a call from Flannagan who said he was in Ripon city centre being followed in the street by “a man with a dog” and that he was scared.
After making the call, Flannagan went into the Wetherspoon’s bar at the Unicorn Hotel and began shouting at people inside the pub, telling them to “leave me alone”.
Ms Clarke said:
Flannagan left the pub and tried to get in a taxi, but he was turned away by the driver due to his bizarre behaviour. Having been rebuffed by the cabbie, Flannagan called police again.
Ms Clarke said:
Flannagan told the operator:
York Crown Court.
He then went back inside The Unicorn and pushed past a man at the bar who didn’t react and walked away. The confrontation with the bar stewardess then followed.
The terrifying incident was brought to an end by an off-duty police officer who ran to the bar and tackled Flannagan to the ground.
The officer, who was with his wife and family, restrained Flannagan until uniformed police arrived to arrest him.
Wetherspoon’s staff members said they were “extremely frightened that things would escalate” and feared that someone was going to be seriously injured “or worse”. One staff member said it was the worst piece of violence they had ever seen at a pub.
Flannagan, of Gallows Hill, was charged with affray and threatening a person with a blade in a public place. He admitted the offences which happened at about 10.15pm on June 17.
He appeared for sentence via video link today after being remanded in custody.
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Ms Clarke said Flannagan had 59 previous offences on his record including violence, public disorder and carrying offensive weapons, namely a knife and a metal bar.
At the time of the incident in Ripon, he was on an 18-month community order imposed in December last year for battery.
Defence barrister Susannah Proctor said Flannagan had a psychotic disorder and was bipolar. His mental health conditions had been exacerbated by drug and alcohol abuse.
She said that at the time of his latest offences he was “acutely unwell” but acknowledged the “anxiety and fear” he caused to members of the public.
Judge Stephen Ashurst told Flannagan his “bizarre and psychotic” behaviour could have resulted in tragedy inside the pub.
He added:
Flannagan was handed a 16-month jail sentence but will only spend half of that behind bars before being released on prison licence.
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