A CHARD man who made threats to a police call handler that he would kill his partner unless an armed response unit was sent to his address claimed he was “armed with firearms to high heavens”.

The terrified victim had called 999 to report a domestic incident, but when Martin Alan Higgins realised what she had done the call handler suddenly heard a smashing sound followed by a groaning noise before the line went dead.

The defendant called her back and told her to send an armed response and an ambulance as his partner had taken an overdose and he was about to kill someone.

He also claimed he was armed with live weapons and said that when the police came they were “going to die”.

Higgins, 25, of Coles Place, pleaded guilty that on April 15 at Chard he made to the police a phone call which conveyed a threat for the purpose of causing distress or anxiety to the recipient.

Prosecutor Christine Hart said that at 5.15pm a female police call handler had a phone call from a female reporting a domestic incident.

“She could tell by looking at the address that the person being reported was Higgins and while talking to her she heard a male come into the room and said “You’re calling the police,” she said.

“The female said she would put the phone down and the call handler then heard something smash and the female made a groaning noise then the phone went dead.”

Higgins then phoned back and said: “There’s police downstairs, need to send armed response and an ambulance. She’s upset and has taken an overdose.

“I’m about the kill someone and when the cops come they are going to die. I’m armed with firearms to high heavens.

“They took my air rifles, I’ve got live weapons. Send f***ers right now or I will kill her. Do you understand?”

The call handler tried to talk to Higgins but he was shouting over her and put the phone down.

Officer attended and shouted at the defendant to open the door but he told them to f*** off.

“He said the next person to come through the door would die and he would kill them but was then arrested and taken to the police station,” said Miss Hart.

When Higgins was interviewed by police he said he suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and his mood level had been low.

He accepted it had been him speaking on the phone and said he recalled making the call but not the threats that were made.

“He said he made the threats to give him some time to calm down as he was level 10 in terms of anxiety and was protecting himself as well as the officers,” said miss Hart.

“He said he was trying to run off to a nearby reservoir which was a safe place for him.”

Defending solicitor Chris Ivory said that Higgins suffered with PTSD and had been in and out of mental health services over the past three or four years.

“Because he could not recollect exactly what occurred there is a question over whether he had the intention to cause distress to the call handler, however it does not afford him a defence,” he said.

“There was extreme language used and subsequent distress and fear caused to the call handler.”

The magistrates adjourned the case against Higgins for a pre sentence report to be prepared by the Probation Service. Until then they released him on unconditional bail.