A devastated mum has slammed a judge who jailed her depressed son for two years after he stood on the edge of a motorway bridge.
Michael Cleator, 37, was handed the sentence after clambering over a safety barrier on a bridge over the M56.
Dad-of-three Cleator, from Wythenshawe spent seven and a half hours perilously placed on the bridge near Manchester Airport before eventually being brought down.
And the court was told thousands of airline passengers saw their plans thrown into chaos with more than 30 flights delayed as staff and passengers battled to make it to the airport.
"At the end of the day he held up the traffic, he didn’t kill anyone."
The former hospital porter was sent straight to prison at Manchester Crown Court with the judge saying his need to receive treatment for his mental health and addiction problems was “outweighed by the need to punish you for the seriousness of your behaviour.”
Today his mother today told the M.E.N she was “shocked and devastated” at the severity of the sentence,
Gail Boden, 59, said Michael, who had spiralled into depression after the breakdown of his relationship, “needed help, not locking up.”
And she said she feared he may now try to harm himself again in prison.
MORE: Mum's heartbreaking post about mental illness after trolls urged her son to jump from M56 bridge
She plans to speak to his legal team to discuss appealing the sentence and has raised the case with her local MP, Labour’s Mike Kane.
She said: “We’re all completely shocked. We were aware prison was a possibility but the two years just seems ridiculous.
“When you see some of the sentences sex offenders and people who have run over and killed people get, it just doesn’t make sense.
“We know he disrupted people and we knew he had to be punished for that.
“And at the end of the day he held up the traffic, he didn’t kill anyone.
“He hasn’t been in trouble since he was in his twenties and he’s never been to prison.
“It just shows we’re getting it all wrong in terms of mental health.
“My son needs help, not locking up.”
As reported in the M.E.N in February, cleaner Gail made a passionate plea on Facebook after Twitter trolls called for her son to throw himself from the bridge.
However she said on the day of the incident, in September last year, he was at breaking point having just learned his former partner had given birth to a baby with her new partner.
She said: “Initially he got no help whatsoever.
“He went to the doctors and was just given anti-depressants.
“But he was in such a dark place he couldn’t see a way out.
“The incident on the bridge was awful for all of us - to get a phone call saying your son is standing on a motorway bridge is heartbreaking.
“It was a bit of a turning point and afterwards he was doing really well and getting the help he needed.
“But now that all of that has to stop whilst he’s in prison.
“He has a history of self-harm and I’m fearful what may happen to him whilst he’s in there.”
Helplines and websites
If you’re struggling to cope with mental health issues here are some of the ways you can access help.
Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org.
Childline (0800 1111) runs a helpline for children and young people in the UK. Calls are free and the number won’t show up on your phone bill.
PAPYRUS (0800 068 41 41) is a voluntary organisation supporting teenagers and young adults who are feeling suicidal.
Depression Alliance is a charity for people with depression. It doesn’t have a helpline, but offers a wide range of useful resources and links to other relevant information.http://www.depressionalliance.org/
Students Against Depression is a website for students who are depressed, have a low mood or are having suicidal thoughts. Bullying UK is a website for both children and adults affected by bullying. http://studentsagainstdepression.org/
