Man admits making knife threats in Portsmouth Virgin Media store

THE man at the centre of a three-hour stand-off with police in Portsmouth has admitted threatening people with a bread knife.
By The Newsroom
Published 1st Feb 2016, 21:29 BST
Updated 1st Feb 2016, 21:55 BST
Police cordon off the back of shops in Commercial Road, Portsmouth, on October 31 after reports of a knifeman in Virgin Media Picture: Allan Hutchings (151721-092)Police cordon off the back of shops in Commercial Road, Portsmouth, on October 31 after reports of a knifeman in Virgin Media Picture: Allan Hutchings (151721-092)
Police cordon off the back of shops in Commercial Road, Portsmouth, on October 31 after reports of a knifeman in Virgin Media Picture: Allan Hutchings (151721-092)

Tobias Maylott, 21, was arrested after the stand-off in the Virgin Media shop in Commercial Road, Portsmouth, on October 31.

The city centre was brought to a standstill as the major shopping road was closed.

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A crowd watched among the market stalls as police cordoned off the area.

Negotiators were brought in to speak to Maylott with armed police also present.

Maylott, of no fixed address, appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court via videolink.

Appearing on the screen from HMP Winchester, he pleaded guilty to affray, threatening people with a knife and common assault.

The court heard he used a bread knife in the incident.

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Robert Forrest, for Maylott, said a previous hearing had been adjourned for a psychiatric report.

‘We would like the court to take it into account for sentence,’ Mr Forrest said.

He added the charge of making threats carried a mandatory six month sentence and revealed Maylott was in breach of a previous suspended sentence.

Judge Linda Sulivan QC adjourned the sentence until Friday. Addressing Maylott she said: ‘’In the meantime you’re remanded into custody.’

At the time of the incident a police spokesman said a man in his 40s had been injured after an alcohol gel bottle was thrown at him.