From: "David M", [EMAIL PROTECTED]
ISSUE 2078 Thursday 1 February 2001
Man fined for waving brush at teenagers
By Maurice Weaver
A LORRY driver who waved a handbrush out of his car window at a group of
rowdy teenagers and shouted "Shut up or I'm going to shoot you", was fined
L200 yesterday for frightening them.
Russell Dyer had complained to police on numerous occasions about teenagers
damaging cars and property on the small private housing estate in Riddings,
Derbys, where he lived, magistrates in Ilkeston were told. But his "act of
frustration" led to the youngsters reporting him to the police. He was
arrested and his home was searched for firearms.
Paul James, defending, said that as Dyer drove past about 10 youngsters on
November 30 he was shouted at and heard something "flick" against the
bodywork of his car. Mr James said: "It was in a sense of frustration that
he picked up the handbrush."
The brush was used by Dyer to sweep out his lorry. "He does not make a habit
of keeping a brush in his car to look like a handgun. It just happened to be
there," said Mr James. Dyer's wife was in hospital at the time and he felt
stressed, he said.
The youngsters ran off but decided to report Dyer to the police, the court
was told. They told officers that they were very frightened and said Dyer
had waved "a five-inch black pistol". Dyer admitted threatening behaviour
likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. He was also ordered to pay
L55 prosecution costs.
--------------------------------------
He was lucky not to have been shot by the cops before they searched his
house.
I wonder if the powers that be are beginning to get just a little concerned
that it is becoming an easy way for anyone with any sort of a grudge can
cause huge inconvenience, not to say danger, to perfectly innocent people
simply by saying, even anonymously, that they may have a gun? On the other
hand maybe it's a convenient way of displaying "threatening behaviour likely
to cause harassment, alarm or distress" to the ordinary citizenry to
reinforce the doctrine of "total control" over any situation that is such an
important part of their training?
DM
--
In fairness to the police I don't think you can criticise their response
in this incident. He did threaten to shoot the kids.
Steve.
Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org
List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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