Moment asylum seeker armed with weapons is wrestled to floor close to faculty

Both Douk Deng, 21, was arrested after workmen confronted him on the premises of Edgar Wood Academy in Heywood, Greater Manchester, and police wrestled him to the ground

Bodycam footage cpatured the moment an asylum seeker, armed with a hammer, hatchet and a kitchen knife, was tackled to the ground by police at a school. South Sudanese national Both Douk Deng, 21, was apprehended after workmen confronted him on the grounds of Edgar Wood Academy in Heywood, Greater Manchester, on 6 August last year.

A member of the public had earlier raised concerns after noticing Deng “behaving oddly” in a nearby street, en route to the secondary school, carrying a petrol can with a hammer attached to his belt.

Deng was seen “mumbling” as he completed a “full circuit” around the school, which was closed for the summer holidays, scanning the building before approaching it. Builders working on site became alarmed and contacted the police.

CCTV footage released by Greater Manchester Police shows Deng kicking over a traffic cone as he entered the school’s premises and then aggressively stamping on another road sign.

He is also seen appearing to wave, while holding the green petrol can, at the workmen who approached him inside the school.

A police car then arrived near the school and bodycam footage showed Deng wailing as he was wrestled to the ground by a police officer.

The officer tells Deng to “stop there”, then orders him to “get on the ground now” as he tries to flee.

An officer can then be heard saying: “He does have a hammer with him as well. And a hatchet.”

The video then shows Deng being escorted away in handcuffs to a police van.

In addition to the hammer and hatchet, he was found to have a seven-inch kitchen knife and a jerry can containing half a litre of petrol.

Deng, who has a wife and children, was placed in multiple accommodation housing (HMO) on his arrival in the UK, the court was told.

Sara Haque, defending said: “He found himself in a foreign country with very limited English and unable to work because of his immigration status.

“He believed and felt no-one was listening to him and no-one was helping him.

“He felt he had reached the of his ability to cope within the HMO where others in similar circumstances to him had been assisted by the immigration authorities.

“He became increasingly frustrated that the same was not happening for him. His only wish is to work and find money to support his family.”

Psychiatric reports on the defendant had not identified any major mental health issues, the court heard.

Deng, of Heywood, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to a range of offences including criminal damage and possessing weapons and a knife in a public place and on school premises. He was told he must serve up to half his sentence in custody and the remainder on licence.

Judge Bernadette Baxter told him: “I have no power to order the Home Office to do anything. But in my judgment, given your circumstances as a failed asylum seeker who has been in custody for the best part of a year, the Home Office should be doing something rather than nothing to deal with your status in this country.”

Detectives from Rochdale CID worked “thoroughly” to investigate Deng, including examining his mobile phone, but found no evidence of a particular motive or intent, said police.

Chief superintendent Helen Caldbeck, district commander for Rochdale, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the officers’ response to this incident.

“They were professional and brave in tackling a suspicious man armed with weapons and immediately confronted Deng to keep the public safe.

“Thankfully no one was close to coming to harm but this was nevertheless a disturbing incident.”

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