The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A Whaplode St Catherine man picked up a sledgehammer following an apparent car pursuit ending in a collision, after perceived threats towards his wife.
Christopher Bryant (53) of Hurdletree Bank, Whaplode St Catherine admitted being in possession of an offensive weapon when he appeared at Boston Magistrates Court.
Prosecuting, Jim Clare said that early on the evening of August 19, a Mr Loveridge drove past Bryant’s home in a van, which also contained two women, and made gestures and perceived threats towards Bryant’s partner.
He said Bryant then got into his own van and pursued it through the Lincolnshire countryside until Sutton St Edmunds where there was an apparent connection between the two vehicles and both stopped.
He said both men got out of their vehicles and Bryant, who was shirtless and covered in blood, picked up a sledgehammer from the passenger seat, later telling police he did so ‘in case he needed to defend himself”.
Mr Clare said a passer-by took the sledgehammer from him but Mr Loveridge then came up and took it from him, at which Bryant said to the passer-by “not to get involved”.
Bryant told police later that there was an ongoing dispute between the two families.
Mitigating, David Eager said no one had been threatened by the sledgehammer and there had been no further incident between the two since this incident last August.
The magistrates ordered Bryant to carry out 125 hours of unpaid work for the community and to pay £170 in costs and charges.
