Doncaster inmate armed himself with homemade weapons over false sex offender claims

Following a tip-off, prison officers at HMP Lindholme in Doncaster visited Matthew Davis’ cell and asked him if he was in possession of anything he should not have been.

Describing what happened next, the judge, Recorder Nicholas Worsley KC, told Davis: “You produced two items from your pocket.

“One was an improvised blade, made with a toothbrush, and the other was a slashing weapon, made from a piece of metal wrapped in a bed sheet.

“They are fearsome weapons, particularly in a prison environment where they clearly have no other purpose other than to inflict harm upon others.”

Sheffield Crown Court heard how Davis, aged 41, claimed to need the weapons after false information suggesting he was a sex offender was spread through the prison.

Prosecutor Sam Magee said that Davis has a long criminal record of some 123 offences from 42 previous court appearances, with eight previous entries relating to weapons.

Among them, said Mr Magee, are offences of possessing firearms and possessing bladed articles in a public place.

The nature of the offence, or offences, which resulted in the prison sentence Davis was serving when he was found with the homemade weapons was not disclosed in court, however.

Davis, of Bawtry Road, Hatfield Woodhouse, Doncaster, pleaded guilty to two offences of unauthorised possession of on offensive weapon, with one described as an “improvised stabbing weapon,” and the other an “improvised slashing weapon.”

Defending, Frances Pencheon referred Recorder Worsley to pre-sentence and psychiatric reports prepared on Davis’ behalf, and suggested that at the time of the offences, he was suffering from “paranoia” and “intrusive thoughts.”

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She said this was exacerbated by the “rumours concocted that he was a sex offender” leaving him with the “erroneous view he was at high risk.”

Ms Pencheon said an incident in 2022 in which Davis suffered burn injuries to around 22 per cent of his body, resulted in a significant impact to his mental health.

She said Davis is suspected of having a personality disorder, and endured a difficult childhood and spells in care.

Davis’ most recent crimes involving the homemade weapons were committed on August 16, 2023, and Ms Pencheon called into question why, given Davis owned up to being in possession of them and was not likely to challenge the charges, it had taken 20 months for the matter to reach court.

Handing Davis an additional 16 months in prison, to be served after he has completed his current sentence, Recorder Worsley told him: “There is no justification for having such weapons in prison.”

“To your credit, you handed over the weapons without any protest.”

Recorder Worsley said he had taken both Davis’ mental health issues, and his history of weapons convictions, which he said aggravated matters, into consideration when arriving at the appropriate length of sentence.