A MAN from Wrexham engaged in a nine-hour police standoff when he refused to come down from the roof of his mother’s home.

Nathan Edwards kicked and threw tiles off the roof of the property and threatened to “cave an officer’s head in” before he eventually gave himself up.

Edwards, 33, of Heol Eifion, Rhosllanerchrugog, was sentenced to a year’s imprisonment at Mold Crown Court today (October 21), having previously pleaded guilty to affray.

Prosecutor Anna Price told the court that, on August 4, police attended Edwards’ home following reports of an unrelated matter – he evaded his property, and went to his mother’s home on Australia Street.

Once inside, he blocked doors with furniture, before gaining access to the roof, where he was “verbally abusive” to officers and threatened to “throw every single tile off”.

Edwards threw a full of can of beer at police vehicle, and dislodged roof tiles, causing them to fall on to the ground below.

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He then shouted at a bystander: “Get the lads down… you’ve seen what’s going on… it’ll all kick off here.”

Police negotiators were called, but Edwards “continued to be abusive”, asking for cigarettes and cocaine.

Edwards claimed it would be “officers’ fault if he fell”, before kicking and throwing further tiles off the roof.

At 8am the following morning, Edwards’ friend arrived to encourage him to come down, to which he replied: “If I get a cigarette, I’ve told them I’ll come in” – he then climbed down and was arrested.

Footage from the standoff was played during today’s sentencing.

Defending Edwards, who had 23 previous convictions for 31 offences, Philip Tully said his client accepts his actions were “totally unacceptable”.

Mr Tully added: “He looks back on that footage with shame, and also accepts that his actions caused fear and disruption to the public and, of course, to police officers.”

He stressed that “nobody was actually hurt as a result of his actions”, and added that Edwards has a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder and emotionally unstable personality disorder.

Sentencing, Judge Rhys Rowlands told Edwards this “very protracted” incident came while police resources were already “stretched” due to the Southport riots happening at the same time.

Edwards will pay a statutory surcharge upon his release from prison.