Thug threatened to kill stranger on forecourt
A THUG with a history of attacking people assaulted a total stranger on the forecourt of a garage.
Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court heard how Darren Snowdon was so drunk he did not even remember what he did.
The 36-year-old’s hearing was told how he came staggering towards the car, which contained the victim’s wife and young autistic son.
When he was challenged about what he was doing, he shoulderbarged the man out of the way, threatened to kill him and told him he would “fetch my boys”.
And the offence saw him recalled to prison for a previous offence.
Handing him an 18-week jail term to run consecutively to that sentence, District Judge Jonathan Taaffe said: “This was a highly unpleasant incident which must have been very frightening for the victim, his wife and their young son. You say you can’t remember it as you were so drunk.”
Lynn Bickley, prosecuting, said the incident took place at 5.45pm on March 1, at the Esso service station in Derby Road, Chesterfield. The victim filled his car with petrol and walked out of the shop having paid for it.
Miss Bickley said: “He saw a male – this defendant – staggering towards his car which contained his wife and their four-year-old son, who is autistic. As the defendant approached the car windows, the victim, concerned
for those inside the car, shouted ‘oi’ and the defendant went over to him and said ‘what’s your problem? What’s it got to do with you?.’
“The victim explained it was his car and walked towards the defendant who came towards him and shoulder-barged him. He said ‘I will kill you, I will kill you.’”
Miss Bickley said the victim held his hands up and backed away from
Snowdon, currently of no fixed address and formerly of both Crayford Road, Alvaston and Melling Close, Birdholme. She said as he did so, the defendant swung a punch at him and told him “I will fetch my boys”. Police were called and arrested Snowdon who answered “no comment” to the questions he was asked.
In a statement the victim’s wife said: “I was frightened by the incident and in fear of what he might do. My son was very upset that someone attacked his dad.”
Snowdon, who appeared over a video link for the hearing from Ripley police station sporting a black eye, admitted assault.
He has previous assault convictions from 2005, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2016 and 2019 and the more serious actual bodily harm in 2006 and 2009.
In April of last year, he was jailed for 24 weeks for assaulting an expartner who he struck with what Derby Crown Court was told was a “haymaker” punch.
In mitigation it was said he could not recall the forecourt incident as he has been so drunk, but if the witnesses said it happened then it did.
HE SAYS HE WAS SO DRUNK HE CAN’T REMEMBER THE INCIDENT