A man who forced the closure of a busy dual carriageway as he engaged in a seven-hour standoff with police has been jailed.
Richard Wood, aged 46, forced the closure of the A52 in both directions when he climbed over the railings the Ningbo Friendship Bridge near the Queen’s Medical Centre.
Wood was seen smoking drugs and also threatened police officers with a large beer bottle – waving it in their direction and threatening to smash it over their heads.
By the time he was talked down by a specialist police negotiator on the afternoon of Sunday 22 June this year, he had caused considerable delays to the tram and road network
He had also forced the prolonged deployment of multiple police officers, firefighters and paramedics.
After his arrest Wood said he couldn’t remember how or why he came to be on the bridge but stressed that he needed help for his mental health and housing.
He later pleaded guilty to intentionally causing a public nuisance, possessing a class B drug, and two counts of threatening a person with an offensive weapon.
Appearing at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 10 July he was jailed for 12 months.
PC Hannah Lees, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“Wood put himself and others in danger with his actions that day, and caused considerable delays for countless drivers and tram passengers – many of whom would have been making their way to the nearby hospital.
“Whilst we are not unsympathetic to the problems this man was experiencing on the day, we also have to think about the huge number of other people he inconvenienced that day, the police officers he threatened and the other public servants he put at risk.
“I sincerely hope he uses this time in custody to get the help he needs and to avoid ever being in this situation again.”
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