Judge jails a debtor for 8 months for threatening to shoot two bailiffs with a TOY LIZARD !!!

[tomtubby]

The following press article is a few months old but nonetheless it does demonstrate that courts will impose a custodial sentence on debtors who threaten bailiffs with violence.

 

 

http://swns.com/news/driver-jailed-threatening-shoot-clampers-toy-lizard-32810/

 

 

A man who threatened to shoot two bailiffs with a plastic LIZARD has been jailed for eight months.

 

Shane Burton, 45, pointed the toy at two men who were clamping his Land Rover and shouted “get away from the car, or I will shoot you.”

 

A court heard bailiffs Christopher Heath and Ricky Knight – who had a warrant to clamp his car for unpaid parking fines – believed the square object Burton pointed at them was a handgun.

 

Burton’s threats *-shouted from the window of his flat – caused the ‘shocked’ and ‘scared’ men to take the clamp off and drive away in a hurry.

 

He was later arrested on April 19 last year after the pair reported the incident to police.

 

On Tuesday, Burton, from Sneinton, Notts., was jailed at Nottingham Crown Court after pleading guilty to possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

 

Caging him, Judge Michael Stokes QC said: “We cannot have people, even with a pretend object, pointing them at bailiffs, threatening to shoot them and chasing them down the road.

 

“It’s very odd he should pick up the lizard.”

 

The court heard Burton had been in a dispute over the parking tickets, and claimed his vehicle was cloned – meaning he was getting tickets for another vehicle

 

Prosecutor Jim Metcalf told the court Burton had picked up the nearest thing to hand. He said: “They (the bailiffs) took the clamp off and they drove away.

 

“As they drove off, the defendant came out of the flats, got into his Land Rover and followed them.”

 

Defending Burton, Adrian Reynolds, described what happened as spontaneous and there was a “genuine belief” by his client that he was being wronged over the parking tickets.

 

 

Mr Reynolds added: “He forgot in the heat of the moment these were just two human beings doing their job.

[filrobbo]

That's nice drug addicts and low life can rob your home and mug old people and get community services but say to a low life bailiffs your going to shoot them and you go to jail.

[Consumer dude]

Shoot them with a toy lizard ? How ?

[welsh1]

That's nice drug addicts and low life can rob your home and mug old people and get community services but say to a low life bailiffs your going to shoot them and you go to jail.

 

So it is ok to threaten to shoot some one and put them in fear for their life just because they are "low life",shame on you

 

Shoot them with a toy lizard ? How ?

 

If you do not realise it is a toy lizard and you are threatened with what you believe is a pistol then the fear is the same.

[Ian olney]

I think if anyone threatens to shoot another person, they should expect jail. I doubt anybody on this site condones this behaviour.

 

 

Bailiffs are unfortunately a necessary part of our society. I wouldn't do the job personally for a number of reasons but this doesn't make every single man or woman who does "low life".

 

 

The bailiffs clearly took the threat seriously as they didn't continue with the clamping.

[unclebulgaria67]

The Judge should be sent to prison for wasting taxpayers money. It costs about £4k a month to send someone to prison.

 

Commonsense should have prevailed, with a largish community sentence handed down instead.

[Ian olney]

The Judge should be sent to prison for wasting taxpayers money. It costs about £4k a month to send someone to prison.

 

Commonsense should have prevailed, with a largish community sentence handed down instead.

 

 

Yeah-That's a great deterrent isn't it?

 

 

What do you advocate for actually shooting a bailiff? 12 months probation?

[renegadeimp]

The judge was COMPLETLY inept.

 

On Tuesday, Burton, from Sneinton, Notts., was jailed at Nottingham Crown Court after pleading guilty to possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence

 

It wasnt an imitation firearm, so that charge should have been struck out.

[osdset]

I have all sorts of doubts over this story. So the bailiffs left, and reported the 'incident', and an armed response unit turned up at the guy's house? Not according to the story, the police attended on a later date and arrested him.

Not the usual action of the police if an alleged firearm is involved.

 

He was arrested on what evidence? CCTV footage of him threatening the bailiffs with what could be mistaken as a firearm? Witness accounts? Or just the bailiffs word?

[renegadeimp]

Wait. I just checked the site. It seems akin to the national enquirer.

[citizenB]

I would have thought it was rather stupid to even threaten to shoot another person. Remember armed police shot a guy who was carrying a table leg !

 

http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/jun/03/ukcrime.ukguns

[filrobbo]

Well bailiffs have no respect for people or there property and the way they act so way shouldn't people fight back even if it's teeing them your going to shoot them.

[citizenB]

Well bailiffs have no respect for people or there property and the way they act so way shouldn't people fight back even if it's teeing them your going to shoot them.

 

I would have thought the answer was obvious.. if the subject of this story is true and the man is indeed now getting free bed and board in HMP !

[unclebulgaria67]

I would have thought the answer was obvious.. if the subject of this story is true and the man is indeed now getting free bed and board in HMP !

 

If the story is true, the only reason a prison sentence is involved, is because bailiffs were threatened. If this had been a threat by one ordinary member of the public against another, I would expect that a police caution would have just been given.

 

We all know that bailiffs have a very long history of being part of the establishment and I expect that the Judge was handing down a sentence expected by members of the secret handshake club.

[filrobbo]

Totally agree

[tomtubby]

I think that you will find that the story originally appeared in the Nottingham press:

 

http://www.nottinghampost.com/Man-jailed-threatening-shoot-bailiffs-toy-lizard/story-18422316-detail/story.html

[Consumer dude]

The secret handshake club are well know for standing behind there own which may be most concerning for those least expecting it. lol..

[fletch70]

Well the guy pleaded guilty which doesn't always mean guilt but he pleaded guilty.

 

What we don't know is how many (if any) previous convictions and for what this guy had. I do not think it is appropriate to comment without the full facts

[tomtubby]

I would think that there is more in the background as to why such a strong sentence had been imposed.

 

For example, this story from a week ago concerns a debtor who had crashed her car into a bailiffs van causing £1,000 worth of damage and she fined £110 with court costs of £85. She also had seven points added to her driving licence.

 

 

http://www.chad.co.uk/news/local/mum-crashed-into-bailiffs-after-fleeing-1-6331166

[Consumer dude]

What exactly constitute's a firearm anyway ?

[renegadeimp]

In the articles case, the judge didnt believe the person when he said it was a toy lizard. Therefore, he had to plead guilty because on the balance of probability ( he had multiple imitation firearms in the house), the judge would have found him guilty anyway. Therefore pleading guilty grants the person a discounted sentence.

[Consumer dude]

In the articles case, the judge didnt believe the person when he said it was a toy lizard. Therefore, he had to plead guilty because on the balance of probability ( he had multiple imitation firearms in the house), the judge would have found him guilty anyway. Therefore pleading guilty grants the person a discounted sentence

dou

 

What about beyond reasonable doubt..

Edited December 28, 2013 by citizenB
restored quote box

[renegadeimp]

The fact imitation firearms were at the house. The fact that he admitted guilt. The fact that the bailiffs reported him for threats to shoot/kill. The fact he got in his car and gave chase.

 

If you were the judge, what would you think. Especially when he gave the excuse " it was a toy lizard. Not one of the many guns i have around the house".

 

However, there must be more to the story than has been released.

[brassnecked]

One bailiff threatened to get me arrested for "shooting" him with a camcorder when I inadvertently filmed him with a GoPro whilst filming a documentary about an estate regeneration. Phoned his employers and told them I had no intention of deleting the footage as he walked into the camera shot, police told him to foxtrot oscar or they would haul him in.

 

Should have threatened him with a rubber chicken then? had one in the car as a film prop.

 

There must be more to the toy lizard story than meets the eye.

[Consumer dude]

In walter mitty land it may be fun,but kidnap and threats of violence/tourture never go down well with the court.A person who even thinks along these lines should look deep within themselves as to why they wish pain and suffering on another human being

 

I agree that no one should issue pain and suffering on another human being but the government operate under different rules..