Dwarf who pretended to be a Dalek by sticking sucker dart to his head jailed after knife incidents

A man who says he is bullied for being a dwarf brandished a butter knife in front of schoolchildren on a bus because someone joked about his size. Ian Salter-Bromley, who has dwarfism, says he got into a dispute with someone on board the bus before pulling out the knife. Paul Genney, representing Salter-Bromley, told Hull Crown Court: "My client is a dwarf with a Zimmer frame and a colostomy bag. He is hardly the most intimidating person. Regarding the bus offence, it began after he remonstrated with someone who pulled his leg about being so small." At the time of the offence, Salter-Bromley, 55, was on bail for an offence of affray committed at the sheltered housing complex he lives in.

Police had been called to the property in west Hull, on July 5 when Salter-Bromley threatened members of staff after pretending to be a Dalek from the television series Doctor Who. Hull Crown Court heard he stuck a sucker dart on his forehead and filled his mouth with dominoes before shouting: "Exterminate, exterminate." Prosecutor Dale Brook said Salter-Bromley had initially been "quite jolly" but his mood changed and he threatened to kill one of the members of staff. When police arrived, Salter-Bromley barricaded himself in his flat. Officers forced their way in and found him holding a 20cm knife. Mr Brook said he threatened to kill one officer, before holding the knife to his own throat.



Officers fired a Taser at him twice because they "feared for his welfare," the court heard. During the disturbance on board the bus, which happened on September 9, Salter-Bromley produced the knife and began waving it about before telling one woman that "if he was going down for killing someone, she was going down with him". A passenger managed to disarm Salter-Bromley and he was arrested by British Transport Police at Hull Paragon Interchange. Mr Genney said the offences sounded worse than they were. "The knife was only a butter knife, which was blunt and only slightly serrated," he said. "His physical state is poor. He once tried to kill himself and broke his back.

"He also doesn't have his wheelchair anymore, after it was stolen, and walks everywhere with his Zimmer frame. My client is depressed and is in enormous suffering. He drinks, has no friends and is isolated. But I admit he is often his own worst enemy." Salter-Bromley admitted affray and possessing a knife in a public place. Jailing Salter-Bromley for nine months, Recorder David Gordon told him: "Individually, these aren't the most serious offences, but together they take on a different complexion. You would have been jailed for longer if it hadn't been for your disabilities. I appreciate you are isolated and have an extremely lonely life, which makes you frustrated. But now you have time behind bars to reflect and try to keep your temper under control."