‘Shining’ terror of 999 crew

FACE of terror . . . deranged knife attacker Leonard Hilton copied a scene from classic horror film “The Shining”

Pair’s fear as attacker copied film
A crazed knifeman copied a scene from legendary Hollywood horror movie “The Shining” to terrorise two paramedics he trapped in his Coldhurst home.

Leonard Hilton (44) grabbed a giant knife, plunged it into his living room door and shouted: “Here’s Johnny’’ — exactly like the deranged author-turned-killer played by Jack Nicholson in Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film.

Terrified paramedics Lorna Wood (41) and Phillip Jones (43) barricaded themselves into the lounge with a sofa in a bid to keep former factory worker Hilton out.

But he stood on the other side of the door continuing to stick the kitchen knife through the wood shouting “I’m going to stab you to death. You’re not going to get out of here alive.”

Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, heard how mother-of-one Miss Wood only returned to work in February of this year after the incident in September, 2008. She needed counselling to cope with the ordeal.

She said: “My outlook on work and life has completely changed.

“While we were trapped inside that flat, I was terrified that we would be killed, and had it not been for the heroic actions of the police that night, I still believe we may have been.

“This incident has affected my whole family. I left home for work that evening and ended up encountering the most terrifying moment of my life.

“I do my job to help and care for people and I should not have to face things like this at work.

“That night could have ended up very different for me, my colleague and our families.

“I go to work every day fearful that something like this could happen again and that next time the outcome may be very different. This has made me realise the risks we take every day when we respond to incidents to help people.

“Despite all the support and counselling I have already received, I will live with that fear for the rest of my life.”

Miss Wood has even considered quitting her job.

Police, called to the flat on Vale Drive, had to overpower Hilton with CS gas spray.

The drama unfolded when father-of-one Hilton began hearing voices in his head telling him to stab the paramedics. He bought a kitchen knife an hour before luring the victims to his flat. He made a 999 call claiming he had slit his wrists just weeks after being released from hospital without medication. When worried paramedics Lorna Wood and Phillip Jones arrived at his flat on the evening of September 30, Hilton had covered his wrist with a brown towel.

But upon entering the flat, Hilton secured the front door with a chain, pulled a kitchen knife out and began waving it at them.

During a police interview he said he had been released from Birch Hill Hospital, Rochdale, without his medication, and that he had called the ambulance to take him to hospital to take his medication.

Mr Jones said: “I have never been so scared in my life. I want this man locking up.”


‘Here’s Johnny’ horror boast

When terrified paramedics fled into the lounge of horror film copy-cat knifeman Leonard Hilton, he continued to stab at the door with the weapon, yelling “Here’s Johnny”, like a scene from “The Shining”, Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, heard yesterday.

Hilton, of Vale Drive, Coldhurst, admitted making threats to kill, false imprisonment and affray. He was jailed indefinitely and told he must serve a minimum of 27 months before he is considered for release.

Jamie Hamilton, prosecuting, said that when the police arrived Hilton waved the knife through the letter box at the police who tried to knock the door through, but couldn’t because it was on the chain. He was eventually sprayed using gas and arrested.

He added: “Miss Wood was by now in tears and shaking from head to foot.”

The court heard that Hilton had previous convictions for arson endangering life and threats to damage property in 2003, after he set fire to his own flat in an attempted suicide and then threatened to burn the police.

Sentencing him, Judge Leslie Hull said: “What happened is something that will live with these two unfortunate paramedics forever. They both experienced severe trauma as a result of what you did. One of them, a young lady, has contemplated turning her back upon her career.

“If anyone deserved the protection of the courts, then it’s these people who do no more than their best to treat members of the public who are injured or otherwise unwell.”

Julie Dagnall, defending, said: “Mr Hilton is described as having a serious mental disorder, a severe emotional unstable personality disorder.

“He created this ruse, he was in an unmedicated state. He said that he was sorry.”

She added, that until the age of 38, Hilton had led a trouble-free life — bar one offence as a juvenile. He had worked in a factory and had a relationship. But when his relationship broke down, he suffered psychological problems.

After the case, Detective Constable Mark Tiffany, of Oldham CID, said: “I am absolutely convinced that had the crew not been able to lock themselves away from Hilton, and had police not arrived when they did, someone could have been seriously injured.

“The incident highlights how those responding to emergencies can put themselves in very clear danger.

“Today’s sentence shows that kind of behaviour will not be tolerated and I am pleased Hilton will now spend a considerable amount of time behind bars.”

North-West Ambulance Service area director Delwyn Wray praised the court and the police for their handling of this heinous crime.

He said: “Our ambulance crew attended what they believed to be a genuine emergency but it was in fact a malicious trap.”