A man who terrified Woking residents after threatening them while armed with tasers was sentenced to 6 years in prison when he appeared at Guildford Crown Court on Thursday 30 March.
Graham Balabanoff, 35, of George Road, Godalming, was sentenced after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to cause violence and one count of assault on an emergency worker at an earlier hearing.
At around midday on Friday, 21 January 2022, Balabanoff arrived in Campbell Avenue armed with two tasers. He began making threats towards members of the public he did not know, shouting that he would kill them while carrying the tasers in his hand. While threatening one woman, Balabanoff discharged the taser and knocked her to the ground. Fortunately, she was unharmed.
Officers were called by residents of the street who were frightened by Balabanoff’s behaviour. Officers located Balabanoff in a nearby residential address and arrested him immediately.
Several officers were needed to restrain Balabanoff, who was aggressive towards police. A spit hood came loose from an officer’s jacket and Balabanoff shoved this in his mouth. When the officer tried to recover it, he bit down on her fingers.
Balabanoff was remanded into custody following his arrest.
Detective Constable Kerry Plumb, who investigated the case, said: “This was a terrifying incident for anyone in the area. Balabanoff’s erratic behaviour was unprovoked and random – he threatened whoever he came across on Campbell Avenue. Thankfully this type of attack is very rare and I hope the local community will take some reassurance from the fact that Balabanoff has been sentenced to time in jail.”
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