BRADFORD BABYSITTER JAILED FOR CHILD NEGLECT AND THREATENING WITH A KNIFE
A man has pleaded guilty to neglecting his child after getting intoxicated and only checking on the child's well-being after a neighbor prompted him to do so.During a hearing at Leeds Crown Court, it was revealed that 25-year-old Brandon Lund was socializing with neighbors when they reminded him that he was responsible for caring for the child.
Prosecutor Catherine Duffy explained that when the child's mother discovered the child covered in a sticky substance and biting its hands—suggesting hunger—she called the police.
Lund then brandished a knife at the child's grandfather and issued threats to kill him.
Duffy described Lund as emerging with a carving knife approximately nine inches long, running toward the man shouting, 'Come on you're a dead man, I'll kill you.' He aimed the knife at his stomach three times but did not make contact.
Lund asked a neighbor to hide the weapon in their garden; when refused, he left with the knife.
Police later found a knife in a nearby alleyway and another inside the house.
Lund, from Coates Street in Bradford, was detained and questioned the following day, during which he made no reply.
He admitted to charges of child neglect, affray, and possession of an offensive weapon.
The court also learned that Lund was to be sentenced for possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis, related to his involvement in a drug line at a Wakefield hostel.
The court highlighted Lund's criminal history, including convictions for shoplifting, assault, threats, and resisting arrest.
Defense lawyer Jayne Beckett explained that Lund wished for the cases to be considered together and claimed he had a minor role in the drug dealing operation.
She described his troubled upbringing, starting from age 14, which included periods of homelessness and reliance on friends or hostels.
By September 2020, Lund was living in a Wakefield hostel with no support or resources.
Since his arrests related to drugs, he returned to Bradford, where he committed further offenses.
Ms.
Beckett noted that Lund has since undergone detox and engaged with mental health services, despite initial struggles with self-isolation following an earlier assault in custody.
He has secured a job as a barber in the prison and is committed to improving his life.
Judge Khokhar sentenced Lund to serve two years and five months behind bars, with eligibility for release on license after serving half of that term.
