The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Man’s threat to ‘chop off ’ Just Eat driver’ s head in takeaway parking row
An armed waiter attacked a Just Eat delivery driver and told him he would decapitate him in a bout of parking rage.
Lukas Richly issued the threat after becoming fed up with his victim blocking the roadway every time he stopped to collect from Mcdonald’s.
A court was told delivery driver Daniel Pohl dropped his food order because he was so frightened by Richly tackling him near the fast food outlet.
Richly initially pushed Mr Pohl and then went to his home to drop his children off before returning armed with a metal pole.
Richly, 40, of Kestrel Way, Perth, admitted attacking Mr Pohl by pushing him on the body outside his home on January 5.
He also admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing, uttering threats of violence and brandishing a metal pole.
Fiscal depute Lisa Marshall told Perth Sheriff Court: “The complainer is a delivery driver. He parked in Kestrel Way in order to pick up food from Mcdonald’s.
“This was his regular practice in his capacity as a delivery driver for Just Eat. The accused approached him and said ‘you’re doing it again, you moron’.
“This was in reference to him parking his car in the street. The accused was shouting and swearing at him. It all seemed to be to do with him parking in the same position the previous evening.
“The accused approached and said ‘I’ll make sure you lose your job’. This prompted Mr Pohl to drop the food he had collected. He was alarmed by the accused.
“The accused went to his home, pushed his children through the door, then
went to his own car and pulled out a metal pole.
“He then advanced towards Mr Pohl with the metal bar, shouting ‘I’m going to chop your f ****** head off ’. Some of this was captured on Mr Pohl’s friend’s mobile phone.”
The police were called and Richly returned to his home. He told police he kept the metal pole for
protection after being attacked on a previous occasion.
Richly, defending himself, told the court: “I was on my way home with my children. I asked him not to park on the street because it’s very narrow and it’s a danger.
“His girlfriend was already on the phone recording it. I told him he
was a traffic danger. He put his head down with his fists clenched and ran towards me.
“I brought the metal pole because I felt threatened. I was waiting for a punch from him. I said I will chop your head off. I should have just gone into the house.
“All of the other Just Eat drivers I asked to park at Asda to pick up their food
and none of them made a complaint. They said it was no problem. It was just him.”
Sheriff Neil Bowie said: Your response here was totally disproportionate. Getting a metal bar and returning was totally disproportionate. You could clearly have walked away.”
Richly was fined £600.