Hungry customer pulled out machete in Wakefield pizza shop after food 'took too long'

The workers at Royal Pizza in Wakefield were left terrified and called the police as bare-chested Diocliciano Rodrigues stood outside the Doncaster Road shop waving the sword around and gesturing for a fight.

The 28-year-old, who works as a chef, avoided jail this week after appearing at Leeds Crown Court and admitting making threats with a bladed article in a public place.

Prosecutor Lily Wildman said that the Portuguese national had entered the store on August 28, 2021 at around 3.30pm, wearing red shorts and no top.

The staff later told police that Rodrigues was immediately argumentative and arrogant when trying to put in his order. But he was refused service because the previous day he had been in and complained that his food was taking too long, demanding a refund.

So after being refused service the next day, Rodrigues began shouting abuse and offering to fight the counter worker outside. He then left, but returned a short time later, now fully clothed and clutching the machete that witnesses said was approximately 50cm in length. CCTV showed him waving it around.

He was arrested and claimed during his police interview that the staff had made racist remarks to him. Rodrigues, now of Greensted Road , Loughton, Essex, has no previous convictions.

A probation report found that he had moved to the UK in 2019 and was living near the takeaway at the time. He admitted it was a "foolish decision" to leave and return with the machete, but claimed he had found the weapon that moment and did not retrieve it from home.

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No mitigation was offered by his barrister, Siobhan Cawkwell, after Judge Robin Mairs said he would not lock Rodrigues up.

Judge Mairs said: "Where the machete came from is of no interest to me. What is of interest is that you frightened people with it."

He gave him 12 months' jail, suspended for 18 months, with rehabilitation days and 100 hours of unpaid work.