Man behind armed siege at Norfolk mansion is jailed

Thomas Daniels-Poulis refused to give himself up when officers went to his home at Marsham Hall after his mother said he had assaulted her.

Instead, the 31-year-old, who had been drinking and taking drugs, appeared at the window with a rifle and told police if they thought they were "big boys" they would have to come in and get him.

Police at Marsham Siege (Image: Newsquest)

He also told them he had set traps for them and used floodlights and torches to dazzle and confuse the officers and obscure what he was up to.

After a day-long siege, officers finally entered the property, just off the A140 near Aylsham, to find he had escaped their apparently secure cordon.

He went on the run and was eventually arrested more than 150 miles away.

He appeared at Norwich Crown Court on Friday, where he was sentenced to 28 months in prison.

Norwich Crown Court (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)

THE SIEGE UNFOLDS

The court was told police arrived shortly before 8pm on September 3, after his mother made the assault allegation, to find Daniels-Poulis inside his bedroom.

The officers, outside the bedroom door, said they were there to arrest him and although he initially agreed to come out he then told them he wouldn't, adding they would have to "break down the door if they wanted to arrest him".

Kaja Reiff-Musgrove, prosecuting, said police then heard what sounded like "the cocking of a rifle" before starting to "retreat down the stairs".

Daniels-Poulis them emerged "holding a rifle" and police took the defendants' mother outside with them for "their mutual safety".

It was declared a "firearms incident" and further resources including armed officers, trained negotiators, police drones and dogs - as well as several ambulances - were deployed to the scene.

Ambulances at the siege in Marsham (Image: Newsquest)

Daniels-Poulis could be seen through windows in the house "with a rifle in his hand" while goading officers to come in.

He claimed he had booby trapped the property and put on floodlights and shone torches to try and make it more difficult for police to see what was happening.

The prosecutor said the incident was declared a "siege situation" requiring firearms officers and specialist dog units to be taken off training exercises and even some officers being deployed from Essex Police with mutual aid funding.

Police at the siege in Marsham (Image: Newsquest)

SLIPPED THE NET

In all the incident lasted 23 hours before officers went inside.

The court heard police conducted a three-hour search of the property but Daniels-Poulis was "no longer there".

An air rifle was discovered by police in a hedge and the weapon, an imitation firearm, had a magazine of ammunition in it.

A manhunt was launched by police and the defendant was later arrested in the West Midlands at 7.30pm on September 5.

JAIL TIME

Daniels-Poulis appeared in court for sentencing having previously admitted using an imitation firearm with intent to resist arrest.

Thomas Daniels-Poulis (Image: Norfolk Constabulary) Jailing him for 28 months, Judge Anthony Bate said it had been a "very frightening and troubling incident" in which a "siege situation ensued" after he was seen with the gas-fuelled imitation air rifle after police were called by his mum.

Judge Bate said "significant resources" were needed to deal with the situation with his actions also being "rightly condemned by your own mother" who said his behaviour that evening was "appalling".

Judge Anthony Bate (Image: Newsquest) He said: "It was highly dangerous behaviour that could have so easily ended up in a tragic outcome".

Judge Bate said there was "something of a manhunt" after the defendant fled the scene, adding "but they got their man in the end".

Marc Brown, mitigating, said at the time of the incident Daniels-Poulis was "misusing class A drugs and alcohol" which brought him into conflict with his mother who "did the right thing" and called police.

Mr Brown said the defendant "accepted he's brought this on himself" and was "genuinely ashamed".

The defence barrister said the defendant would write to police to "apologise for the incident" which had a "significant impact on police resources".

He added that "at no stage was the rifle aimed at an officer, it was pointed at the ground throughout the incident".

Judge Bate also ordered that Daniels-Poulis forfeit the weapon to police.

He also ordered that the defendant be found not guilty of a count of common assault.