‘Bullied’ garage boss brandished machete

A GARAGE boss brandished a machete when trouble flared at his Bristol business.

Steven Johns grabbed the blade, as well as an iron bar, when a man visited Cox Bros Garage in Highridge Green in the Bedminster Down area.

Bristol Crown Court heard damage was caused to a vehicle but no-one was hurt in the incident.

Johns, 51, of Highridge Green, pleaded guilty to possessing a blade on August 26 last year.

Judge Timothy Rose handed him 10 months’ prison, suspended for 12 months.

He told Johns: “Whatever the rights and wrong of the background you elevated the situation into something supremely dangerous on that occasion.”

Johns was told to abide by a threemonth curfew in which he must stay indoors from 8pm to 6am on an electronic tag. He was able to waive some of the curfew in order to attend a golfing weekend in a belated celebration of his 50th birthday.

Gregory Gordon, prosecuting by video link, said the incident centred on a dispute involving the visitor and others at the garage.

In the course of a fracas that ensued Johns held a machete in one hand and a metal bar in the other hand, the court heard.

Mr Gordon said: “It was in full view of passing vehicles. There were people who viewed the incident and were alarmed by what they saw.

“It was not a one-off. It appears associates of the man who visited had previously attended.”

Daniel Woodman, defending, said the background to the incident amounted to people visiting the garage following an allegation about a broken window.

Mr Woodman, said: “He just got fed up with being bullied and picked on by these people.

“At the age of 51 he has no previous convictions, he has worked hard all his life and this is visited on him.

“It was the latest in the line of incidents.”