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Fire threat man spared jail

30/ 9/2008

A BUSINESSMAN was spared jail after being convicted of wasting police time following a house siege in Bamford.

Peter Sastawnyuk, aged 53, pleaded guilty to the charge when he appeared before Rochdale magistrates yesterday.

He was sentenced to 150 hours’ unpaid work, a two-year community order and was ordered to pay £60 costs.

Emergency services evacuated nearby residents from their homes after Sastawnyuk threatened to harm himself and cause damage in his Midge Hall Drive home on 4 September.

The court heard that Sastawnyuk had been staging a protest following the repossession of his detached home.

He made threats to harm himself with petrol and a 600-metre cordon was enforced with Bury Road, between War Office Road and Sandy Lane, closed to traffic and pedestrians, as was Broadhalgh Road.

Residents from around 40 homes were evacuated as a precaution. Trained police negotiators were brought in to speak to him, with the fire and ambulance services remaining on standby for several hours.

It was later confirmed no explosives were present and the petrol canisters were actually empty.

For the full story see Saturday’s Observer.