Street evacuated during two-hour siege as Leeds man threatened to blow up house
Negotiators had to be called after a man threatened to blow up a house in Leeds after he purposely ruptured a gas boiler.
Surrounding homes in the cul-de-sac were evacuated and more than 30 police officers were involved, including a specialist unit, after Austin Reed refused to leave the property.
He had damaged the boiler of the house on Roderick Street in Upper Wortley leaving it leaking gas, which he said he would ignite if anyone entered.
The 43-year-old appeared at Leeds Crown Court this week where he admitted criminal damage to property reckless as to whether life was endangered.
Police had been called to the address on the evening of October 21, 2023, by Reed’s partner who was screaming that she had been locked in the house.
When officers attended, the woman had escaped and only drunken Reed remained inside, “barricading” himself in, the court heard.
There was a strong smell of gas in the street and he shouted from an upstairs window he would cause an explosion if they tried to get inside.
At the siege’s height, there were 34 police officers on the street, the fire service, ambulance service, a specialist police support group and two negotiators.
Residents had to be removed from their homes and the police eventually forced entry after two hours of talks, having smashed the property windows to let the gas escape.
Gas engineers were required in the aftermath to make the area safe.
Reed, of The Elms, Leeds, has nine previous convictions including threatening behaviour, harassment and repeated breaches of a restraining order.
Mitigating, Philip Mahoney said Reed had remorse and suffered from severe mental-health issues.
He said he had “deep-rooted trauma” and was at crisis point that evening, wanting to end his own life.
He added that Reed was engaging with professionals and said if he were jailed, it would undo the work he had done.
Judge Penelope Belcher jailed Reed for 42 months.