Man 'at the end of his tether' who took social worker's phone cleared of robbery

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Don't miss a thing by getting the latest from the Manchester Evening News sent direct to your inbox A man in 'turmoil' who admitting carrying a steak knife as he took a social worker's phone insists his actions were a plea for help.

Stephen Hastie stood accused of robbing the phone after holding the knife at the social worker's cheek, having made his way into the home of her vulnerable client.

But the 33-year-old insisted he was only carrying the knife to harm himself. After a trial at Stockport's Nightingale Crown Court, he was found not guilty of robbery.

The court heard that Hastie, of Cartmel Walk, Middleton, entered the vulnerable person's home at around 4.30pm on January 6, 2020.