'Dangerous' man threatened immigration officers with hunting knife at Peterborough home

A ‘dangerous’ man who threatened immigration officers with a knife and ran at a police officer with a metal bar has been jailed.

Police said the offences committed by Robert Mugatsi, 47, were ‘disgusting’ as he was jailed at Peterborough Crown Court.

Mugatsi was wanted on warrant to be deported

The court heard how Mugatsi was visited by the immigration officers at a house in Linnet, Orton Wistow, Peterborough, at about 6.30pm on 25 August last year, as he was wanted on warrant to be deported.

When officers were at the front door, Mugatsi ran into the garden and tried to escape over a fence but ran back inside the house when an officer came into the garden.

They went to the front door and Mugatsi opened it and produced a large hunting-style knife, about seven inches long, and pointed it at the officer.

He held the knife to his throat when officers drew their batons and chased them back to their cars while still holding it and threatening them.

Mugatsi left the scene before police officers arrived.

Officer kicked by Mugatsi at hospital

A few months later, on 17 December at about 11.15pm, officers spotted Mugatsi driving a Hyundai Tucson and hesitate while pulling out of the Iway Inn Hotel, on the A1198, near Papworth Everard.

They followed and at Papworth stopped Mugatsi who gave a false name and agreed to provide a breath test which was negative.

However, he said he wanted to urinate so the officer opened the door and Mugatsi pushed him before running off into a field.

The officers gave chase and he was eventually found but tried to punch an officer, moved aggressively towards them and was tasered to no effect.

Mugatsi ran off again and was lost in the darkness.

He was eventually found at about 2am the following day, back at the Iway Inn Hotel, where he armed himself with a metal paint roller and metal bar before running at an officer and shouting, “it’s going to be a big fight.”

Mugatsi was tasered, arrested and taken to Hinchingbrooke Hospital, where he kicked an officer in the arm while he was being assessed in A&E.

On Wednesday (26 April), at Peterborough Crown Court, Mugatsi, of Ermine Street, Papworth Everard, was jailed for one year and 10 months, having been found guilty of two counts of assault by beating of an emergency worker, one count of common assault of an emergency worker, using a vehicle without third party insurance, driving whilst disqualified and affray.

He pleaded guilty to using threatening words with intent to cause fear of unlawful violence.

Offences were ‘disgusting’

DC Debbie Vyse said: “Mugatsi’s repeated assaults on officers were disgusting and the sentence shows how seriously they are taken by the courts.

“He is dangerous and showed he was not afraid to use violence and weapons against both immigration and police officers.”