Worksop: Man who threatened gay couple and told them he would ‘burn their house down’ is jailed

A Worksop man who intimidated a gay couple in a car park along with two other friends has been jailed for 16 weeks.
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In Court

Eifion Watson, 20, of Newcastle Avenue, was also charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words whilst wielding a brick at another man during an argument in the street when he appeared before Worksop Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 19th June.

Ruth Snodin, prosecuting, said that Watson and his two friends approached the gay couple in a Worksop supermarket on 12th April after recognising them from a TV programme.

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They followed the couple into the car park where they began verbally abusing them over their sexuality, before telling them that they were going to ‘burn their house down.’

Mrs Snodin added that Watson had a ‘substantial record of violence’ and was later seen threatening another man with a brick on Castle Street on 7th May.

Defence solicitor David Verrity said that Watson had made efforts to conquer his alcohol addiction and had ‘nothing against gay people’ as he had homosexual friends.

He added that Watson said he picked up the brick on 7th May in frustration during a dispute over an ex-girlfriend, but would ‘never have thrown it.’

Magistrates told the court: “We feel the offences are so serious that only custody would be justified here.”

Watson will serve a 16 week prison sentence.

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