Sheffield man threatened to chop up immigrants with machete in "frightening rant”

Gavin Parkin met the woman "by chance" on London Road, on August 18, 2020, when he told her he was homeless and asked for money to buy food, said prosecutor Richard Sheldon.

The woman, who "often helps homeless people," walked with him and then Parkin asked her for £10 for a bag of heroin.

He ranted about people he didn't like and claimed he had a machete. He said "immigrants needed chopping up" and said he wanted to bring back corporal punishment.

She gave him money and he kissed her, but she was “genuinely frightened,” said Mr Sheldon.

"She intends to continue with her altruistic attitude but will take different routes in future," he added.

Parkin has a "mixed bag of convictions" which are mainly acquisitive, but lately include public order offences, Sheffield Crown Court heard on Friday.

The court heard that Parkin sacked his legal team and was disruptive everytime he appeared in court.

Parkin appeared in court via the video-link from HMP Doncaster and then left the hearing once he learned his sentence.

Judge Michael Slater took the “unusual step” of sentencing Parkin before Mr Sheldon opened the case.

He said: "I feared that having regard to his nature if the sentence took place in the ordinary way, that Mr Parkin would not be able to resist the temptation of interrupting us and when he has done so before it has been so at some length."

Parkin, 39, of Page Hall Road, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to affray when he appeared at the crown court, on Monday, February 2.

The judge said he reduced the sentence to 15 months to reflect his mitigation.

"Principally, he didn’t intent to frighten the complainant and he has served the equivalent off a 12 month in prison,” he said, giving Parkin a one third discount for his guilty plea.

Judge Slater sentenced him to ten months in prison, but because of the time he has already served, he will be released today.

Read the latest cases from Sheffield Crown Court here.

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