A Crawley man has been given a suspended sentence for walking through Gatwick Airport with two knives.

Adam Russell, 32, who suffers from schizophrenia and said he had ‘voices in his head’, was tasered by police when he was seen heading towards the international departure lounge in the South Terminal with the weapons back in June.

Lewes Crown Court heard how around 200 people had to be evacuated from the terminal when Russell was seen “walking with purpose” with “an emotionless glazed-over look on his face”. The prosecution said how a security officer had been so scared that “she thought this is it, this is a terrorist attack.” The court was also told how Russell had previously told a neighbour he was planning a massacre at the airport and was going to going to “kill them all”.

Defending Russell his barrister explained how “in the preceding weeks to the incident his mental health was deteriorating significantly” adding Russell wished her to indicate he could now see “just how alarming this must have been.”

Upon sentencing the judge noted that in other circumstances he would be sending Russell to prison due to the seriousness of the incident. Instead he gave a 15-month suspended sentence with the requirement to have mental health treatment and rehabilitation.

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