Swindon man jailed after attempting to stab neighbours

Andrew Simango, of Swindon Road in Stratton St Margaret, claims he had been having delusions and 'hearing voices' when he started repeatedly knocking on his neighbours door to ask why they had reported him to police.

After explaining multiple times that no reports had been made, the family said they "felt sorry" for the man who appeared paranoid.

But when Simango, 23, knocked again on April 22, 2024, and a dispute broke out leading one of the family members to punch Mr Simango, they did not expect him to pull out an eight-inch knife.

“He swung at the claimant with the knife and the claimant was able to step back quickly and close the door," prosecutor Ms Woodman told Swindon Crown Court on November 12.

“They could hear him stabbing the front door with the knife and he then shoved it through the letterbox in an attempt to stab the claimant.

“Mr Simango then climbed into the back garden of the home. He continued stabbing the back door and was looking through the window, pressing his face to the glass.

“One woman who was in the kitchen at the time has described being extremely frightened."

In a statement, one of the family members said: “I was scared for my life. My 22-month-old daughter was upstairs asleep and she woke up due to commotion and I had to console her.”

By the time police arrived, Simango had hidden the knife which still has not been found.

Simango was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court (Image: Newsquest) He then later assaulted police officers at the station after refusing to have his fingerprints taken.

CCTV footage of the incident which was played in court showed him swinging wildly at officers and shouting profanities as police rushed to restrain him.

"He said he does normally carry a knife with him for protection and he had gone to the neighbours that day to sort an issue," added the prosecutor.

Defence lawyer Ms Murphy suggested that the man had been experiencing "delusions" and "hearing voices" at the time of the attack.

“The start of his offending history coincides with the start of his decline in mental health. He believed the family was making reports to police about him," said Ms Murphy.

Judge Taylor has now sentenced Mr Simango to 19 months imprisonment for three counts of assaulting an emergency worker, two counts of threatening a person with a knife, two counts of criminal damage and one count of possessing a blade in a public place.

"Everything I have heard suggests you were in a mental health crisis, so I will take into account the overall picture," he said.

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