Crazed Vauxhall knifeman threatened police then stabbed himself

A knife-wielding maniac who repeatedly called cops then brandished the blade before stabbing himself has been sentenced.

Jason Starkings, 51, of Vauxhall was sentenced on Tuesday 10 March at Inner London Crown Court after pleading guilty on 25 October at the same court to affray.

Starkings was given a 22-month prison sentence, suspended for 24 months.

Officers had been called to Harleyford Road in Vauxhall at 3.30am on 25 June 2019 after a man called police several times reporting a break-in.

Control room staff said it was likely to be a mental health incident and officers knew they would need to be careful of the welfare of the occupant.

Another man could be heard inside the property pleading for officers to be allowed in. They were refused entry – but officers forced their way in.

Starkings, who police say had taken drugs, was holding a large kitchen knife and was in an agitated state. He ran further into the flat and refused to drop the knife despite multiple warnings to do so.

One officer fired his Taser, but it failed. Starkings then stabbed himself in the stomach, causing large amounts of blood to pour from his belly.

Starkings charged at the officer, seemingly intending to stab him. The officer retreated back into the hallway and more units were called to assist and repeatedly told him to drop the knife.

They were soon able to control him successfully with a Taser, though he still tried to reach for the knife.

They stemmed the flow of blood and ultimately saved his life. He was arrested and taken to hospital for treatment where he made a full recovery.

He was charged with affray on 27 July.

A mandatory investigation by the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) concluded that “the officers involved should be commended for their bravery, skill and judgement in dealing with the man.”

Detective Sergeant Paul Connelly, who led the subsequent investigation, said: “The reckless actions of Starkings that night clearly placed the officers, who attended to check on his welfare, in significant harm. The officers acted professionally throughout and no doubt saved Starkings’ life despite putting themselves at harm. I commend them.

“His hoax calls to police, seemingly intended to lure police to the venue for the sole purpose of causing them harm, show the serious effects of taking drugs.

“Starkings has since made a full recovery but the injuries he caused to himself that night were also serious and could have resulted in a very different outcome for himself.

“It is so important that our officers are equipped to deal with all nature of incidents and have training and plans in place to ensure they can protect themselves and the public from harm. This incident, although distressing, is a solid example of this.

“The officers who attended still feel the effects of what they dealt with that night, yet they continue to come into work and to police London.”