By Cleethorpes man holds toddler at knifepoint
Grimsby Crown Court have heard how a Cleethorpes man held a toddler at knifepoint
Dean White, 32, of Sea View Street, had worked for around four years as a sheet metal worker.
It is claimed that the stress of being furloughed for a period of six weeks, and being cooped up during the coronavirus lockdown led to a meltdown.
Millions of workers across the country have been furloughed under the Government job retention scheme.
More than 17,000 in North East Lincolnshire have been affected, and the scheme has saved millions of people who otherwise might have been made redundant.
But for some, especially those with pre-existing mental health conditions, it has proved to be an incredibly difficult situation.
The defence claimed that this is what sparked a meltdown which ended with Dean White grabbing the girl, and holding a knife to her neck.
He was said to be in a highly emotional state and was covered in blood when he held a knife to neck of the toddler.
She was then aged just two.
Neighbours contacted the emergency services when Dean White was seen entering the street in the early hours, with a child, shouting “Help, help, help.”
Mr White threatened to kill the girl and told police officers:
“She’ll be safer with me in Heaven.”
He warned them: “I’ll do it” before starting to count down.
White attempted to evade the police, before pulling out a large kitchen knife and holding it to the girls throat, and then cutting his own arm and neck.
He claimed that he believed that people in a house were after him and that he took the girl to protect himself.
White admitted stabbing himself in the chest, neck and arms, but denied wanting to injure the girl.
He was found to be under the influence of both Class A drugs and alcohol.
White also admitted a previous charge of possessing a kitchen bread knife in public in Mollison Avenue, Cleethorpes.
He is currently in custody awaiting sentence and has been refused bail.
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