A ‘VISIBLY upset’ man threatened to kill a member of staff working in a bank after accusing members of the public of stealing from him, a court heard.

Steven Parkinson, 46, was escorted out of the NatWest Building Society on Elephant Yard in Kendal on March 1 this year after he had attended the store with his mother to assist her with losing a bank card, South Cumbria Magistrates' Court heard. 

Prosecutor Peter Kelly said the defendant, who also has a learning disability, started swearing and pacing around the store as a result of his suspicions before shouting ‘I am going to kill you’ towards a bank official.

The court was told Parkinson then ‘smacked his head’ on the front window of the building in frustration after the bank worker locked the door from the inside.

Mr Kelly said the incident lasted ‘for a number of minutes’ and that there were people of all ages including children in the bank at the time.

Officers arrested the defendant at his home address on Pembroke Court in Kendal later that day, the court heard.

Mr Kelly said Parkinson was taken to custody when he then became ‘erratic and abusive’ towards officers at the desk.

The court heard the defendant then kicked out at PC Macaskill with a shod foot, causing him bruising to the top of his left leg.

Parkinson pleaded guilty at the first opportunity on July 1 to using threatening / abusive / insulting words / behaviour to cause harassment / alarm / distress, and common assault of an emergency worker.

In mitigation, David Mannering said his client was remorseful for his behaviour.

Mr Mannering added: “The incident was brief and not calculated or targeted in anyway.

“He is not someone who is deliberately aggressive. He has difficulty regulating his emotions and gets frustrated when he does not understand what is going on.

“He is currently working for a cleaning company earning around £120 p/w which gives him a purpose in life.”

Magistrates sentenced Parkinson to a 12-month community order with one requirement to complete 10 rehabilitation requirement days.

He was also fined £180 and ordered to pay £100 in compensation to the police officer.

No orders for costs were made.