South Sudanese national Both Douk Deng jailed after invading school armed with hammer hatchet and knife
A South Sudanese national who stormed a Greater Manchester secondary school armed with an axe, a hammer, a kitchen knife, and a petrol can has been jailed for two years. Both Douk Deng targeted the Edgar Wood Academy in Heywood while the premises were closed to pupils for the summer holiday. The thirty-one-year-old asylum seeker was confronted by brave construction workers on site after walking around the building while mumbling incoherently and acting aggressively toward infrastructure.
Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard that a concerned member of the public initially raised the alarm after spotting Deng behaving erratically in nearby streets with a hammer strapped to his waist. CCTV footage released by Greater Manchester Police captured the defendant kicking over traffic cones and stamping on road signs before approaching workers inside the school grounds while carrying a petrol container. Construction staff quickly intervened and alerted emergency services, prompting a swift armed response from local law enforcement units.
Dramatic bodycam footage played to the court showed responding officers wrestling Deng to the ground after he attempted to flee the scene. Officers ordered the suspect to surrender before discovering the concealed hatchet, hammer, and large kitchen knife on his person. Subsequent police interrogations revealed that the defendant had grown intensely frustrated with immigration authorities following three rejected asylum applications, choosing to stage a dangerous scene to draw public attention to his legal status.
Deng pleaded guilty to multiple charges including criminal damage, carrying offensive weapons, and possessing a knife on school grounds during an earlier hearing. Presiding judicial authorities sentenced the defendant to two years in custody, ordering him to serve up to half his sentence behind bars before release on license under strict monitoring. Prosecutors emphasized that while no students were present during the summer break, the defendant’s volatile actions posed a severe threat to public safety and school staff.
The sentencing has sparked renewed debate across the region regarding security protocols at educational facilities and immigration enforcement procedures. Community leaders and local representatives praised the quick thinking of the on-site builders whose decisive confrontation prevented potential escalation or arson. Police leadership confirmed that tactical response units executed standard high-risk containment procedures to neutralize the armed suspect without injury to the public.
Following the judicial outcome, state representatives confirmed that immigration authorities will review Deng’s legal status following the completion of his custodial term. Legal officials maintained that strict enforcement of weapons laws on educational grounds remains paramount to upholding community safety. Court registries have archived the official conviction details, formally concluding the criminal prosecution.
