Shaun Wakefield's terrifying rampage in Newport last year

Terrified residents of Fairoak Court, Faircourt Avenue, near Newport city centre, ran as Shaun Wakefield emerged from his apartment block wielding an air rifle, before firing at police officers present.

During this shocking ordeal in the evening of April 5 last year, Wakefield told his wife “you’re going to burn” and “we’re all going to die” – all being him, his wife and the family dog, after Wakefield lit a fire in their flat.

Wakefield, 47, had been acting erratically before the incident, harming himself and grabbing the steering wheel of a taxi on a trip back from the Grange Hospital only to say he was joking around.

Cardiff Crown Court heard how the defendant suffered crippling depression and, on this occasion, had started self-medicating rather than using his prescribed medication.

Self-medication substances included two cannabis cigarettes which Wakefield smoked before making the terrible threats to his wife and going on his rampage.

In a psychiatric report Wakefield described how he could hear voices telling him to kill himself.

After lighting the fire he ran out his flat and round the block – which contained 24 flats in total - kicking doors and telling neighbours what he had done.

Then, in mobile phone footage played in court, Wakefield is seen slowly walking out the apartment block aiming a rifle while terrified residents run from him. Wakefield fired at police who were now taking cover and ordering Wakefield to drop the weapon.

One officer at the scene said: “I felt concerned for my colleagues and that of the public.”

It was said Wakefield’s intention with the rifle was for police to shoot him – another way he thought he could kill himself.

Wakefield emerges from his flat with an air rifle (Image: CPS)

Wakefield was suffering a drug induced psychosis (Image: Gwent Police)

Fairoak Court, where Wakefield emerged with the rifle (Image: Google Maps)

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In mitigation, it was said after setting the fire, Wakefield tried to raise the alarm – which was why he was kicking people’s doors in round the apartment block, but no one believed him.

In custody for 10 months now, Wakefield was said to be back on his medication and determined to turn his life around, giving up drink and drugs and attempting to find a routine to manage his depression.

Wakefield shot at police wanting them to shoot him (Image: CPS)

At a sentencing hearing on February 15, Judge Simon Mills said: “What you did was very serious. You uttered a terrifying threat to your wife, behaved in an out-of-control manner kicking doors to flats, setting fire within your own flat then you emerge with a loaded air rifle.”

For arson, Wakefield was sent to prison for two years, four months.

For making threats to kill and being in possession of a firearm he was given a further two years and four months in prison to run consecutively.

There was no separate charge made for criminal damage.