Man guilty over 18-hour crossbow stand-off

Mahoney was remanded in custody after magistrates found him guilty in his absence of causing affray and threatening neighbours with a crossbow

A 53-year-old man who pointed a loaded crossbow at his neighbours before an 18-hour stand-off with police has been convicted.

Darren Mahoney, 53, of Potters Field in Gorleston, Norfolk, was found guilty of affray over the incident on 21 September.

A neighbour sobbed during evidence saying: "We ducked down, because we had to, for our lives."

He refused to attend his trial at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court in Essex, so was convicted in his absence.

Magistrates spent 23 minutes deliberating the verdict and he is due to be sentenced at Great Yarmouth Magistrates' Court on 26 November.

A neighbour said he was woken at about 06:30 BST by a "really loud bang" and initially thought his five-year-old granddaughter had knocked something over.

He banged on the wall asking Mahoney to "keep the noise down" then did the same over the garden fence.

Mahoney continued to use expletives and told his neighbour to "wait there", before returning to the back door in his wheelchair holding a crossbow.

The neighbour said: "As I was ducked down I heard a click, [it] sounded like the cocking of a weapon, and I stood up with him pointing the crossbow at me and that's when I then ducked down behind the fence and said to my wife 'Call the police; he's got a crossbow'."

Potters Field was closed off for about 18 hours while police were in a stand-off with Darren Mahoney

His wife sobbed during her evidence, holding her arms up to mimic the position Mahoney had held the crossbow towards her husband.

"I didn't even know it was a crossbow until I saw it pointing at my husband's head. I still hear it to this day," she said.

"My granddaughter was in the house; she heard all this and she's five years old. My daughter has learning difficulties; they were shaking from head to toe to see that. It's heartbreaking."

Eighteen hours after police arrived at the scene, Mahoney left the house voluntarily and was arrested.

Police found the loaded and cocked crossbow and multiple bolts with sharpened metal tips and a magazine that would allow multiple bolts to be fired.

Tests showed he had not consumed alcohol or drugs except methadone, for which he had a prescription.

Darren Mahoney was found guilty in his absence after he refused to leave his cell at Norwich prison

In a police interview Mahoney said he would wake to find the couple "invading his thoughts and getting inside his head", prosecutors said.

He told police he was a "prepper" and the weapon would allow his son and daughter to hunt and gather food in the event of a Russian invasion and chemical attack; and he denied pointing it at his neighbours and making threats to kill.

Chairwoman of the bench, Kate Atherton, recorded the siege as lasting 13 hours, despite police stating it lasted almost 18 hours.

"We are satisfied that Mr Mahoney threatened unlawful violence and pointing a loaded, sprung crossbow [at his neighbour's head]," she said.

"We found a reasonable person would fear for their safety

Mahoney's trial was relocated from Norwich to Chelmsford owing to issues with prison transport, but he subsequently refused to leave his cell in Norwich prison.

The court was told Mahoney - who had pleaded guilty to possessing a zombie-style knife - had sacked his defence solicitor.

He was not represented in court, with no defence evidence or witnesses called to the trial.