'Attention-seeking' illegal migrant turned up at SCHOOL armed with hammer, hatchet and kitchen knife

An "attention-seeking" illegal migrant has been jailed after turning up at a school armed with a hammer, hatchet and kitchen knife.

South Sudanese national Both Douk Deng, 21, had become "increasingly frustrated" that immigration authorities were not helping him stay in Britain.

Deng, who has a wife and child, was arrested after workmen confronted the South Sudanese at Edgar Wood Academy in Heywood, Greater Manchester, on August 6 last year.

He was seen "mumbling" as he walked a "full circuit" around the school with a hammer, hatcher, seven-inch kitchen knife, and jerry can containing half a litre of petrol, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

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A day earlier he had been seen spotted "acting oddly" at the Holy Family RC and CE College in Rochdale.

There, he kicked and damaged its intercom - though both schools had already closed for the summer.

Sara Haque, defending, said he maintained he did not have any desire to injure or hurt anyone, and there was no evidence he threatened any individual.

She said: "This was a bizarre and compulsive act lacking in any type of maturity at a time when he was in deep distress having left Sudan and his family in traumatic circumstances.

"He wanted attention and he was in crisis but he was not motivated by hostility towards children, teachers or the wider public."

Deng was placed in a house in multiple occupation (HMO) upon his arrival in the UK, the court was told.

Ms Haque said he had "very limited English" and felt frustrated that "no-one was listening to him and no-one was helping him".

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

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"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."

Deng had no major mental health issues, according to psychiatric reports.

He has now been sentenced to two years behind bars, after pleading 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.

The South Sudanese national will serve 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."

Greater Manchester Police's 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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