Thug targeted Sheffield emergency workers & left man fearing for life during four-month crime rampage
A man made the lives of Sheffield emergency workers a misery during a four-month, booze-fuelled crime rampage, in which he also left a member of the public in fear for his life.
During Watu Songa’s “disgraceful” crime spree, he headbutted a police officer, striking her to her right cheek bone, threatened to “mash” other officers, and hit out at ambulance staff attempting to assist him.
On each occasion, Songa was heavily intoxicated, and in addition to the violence meted out, also verbally abused the police and ambulance staff who encountered him, Sheffield Crown Court heard.
That included threatening to “shoot” an ambulance practitioner, after concerned members of the public phoned the emergency services after seeing him lying on the ground on Ellesmere Road in Burngreave, seemingly passed out.
Jailing Songa for four years, Judge David Dixon told the 33-year-old: “Your response to being assisted by those Good Samaritans was to hit out at them. People doing their job, trying to help you.”
“Your behaviour towards them was disgraceful.”
In another incident, Songa attacked a man in the street, after a female he was with asked the man to share his alcohol, and seemingly stole a packet of cigarettes from his carrier bag.
Songa, of no fixed abode, responded to the complainant questioning the female over her behaviour by strangling him with such ferocious force the complainant feared he was going to pass out.
“He believed you were going to kill him,” Judge Dixon continued.
Police were called to the scene, and as Songa was being arrested, he told the complainant: “You f***ing white b******, I’m going to get you for this.”
Judge Dixon said he believed the assault was racially-motivated, however it was charged as intentional strangulation.
In a statement to the court, the complainant revealed the physical effects of the assault left him with pain to his neck which created challenges in his job as an engineer; while the psychological impact has resulted in him feeling anxious, hesitant about socialising and turning to alcohol to self-medicate.
During another of the incidents police were called to, members of the public reported Songa carrying an eight-inch knife with a serrated blade. Upon seeing officers arrive on the scene, Songa threw the knife to the ground and attempted to run away.
Officers managed to detain Songa and seize the blade.
Judge Dixon noted, however: “The risks from that knife are immeasurable.”
Songa pleaded guilty to a catalogue of offences including assault by beating of an emergency worker, assault of a constable in the execution of his/her duty, intentional strangulation and possessing a blade in public place.
Defending, Rebecca Tanner said Songa was effectively homeless at the time of the offences, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and had a dependency on alcohol, which was exacerbated by the horrors of being on the streets.
Sending Songa to prison during a hearing held on March 20, 2026, Judge Dixon told him to work to address his issues in prison, warning that if he failed to he risked coming back to court and receiving “longer and longer sentences.”