Kirkby man terrified father and stepmother with 'truly shocking' telephone rant

A Kirkby man terrified his father and stepmother during a ‘truly shocking’ telephone rant in which he threatened to kill them, a court heard.
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Michael Hunt began ‘ranting and raving’ about how he felt a rush of blood to the head when he sees pain inflicted during the 15-minute telephone call he made at 2pm, on November 4, last year, Nottingham Magistrates’ Court heard.

Ben Payne, prosecuting, said the call was triggered after his stepmother made a complaint to Derbyshire Police which led to Hunt’s bank account being frozen.

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His father told 34-year-old Hunt to give his address ‘so they could sort it out face to face’, while his wife reported the call to police.

Nottingham Magistrates Court.Nottingham Magistrates Court.
Nottingham Magistrates Court.

The court heard Hunt told his father he had friends in the Kirby area who would ‘sort him out’ and the conversation turned insulting, with Hunt repeatedly screaming down the phone.

Hunt also made false allegations that his father had hit him when he was child and ‘continued to rant rubbish for the remainder of the phone call’, before hanging up.

In a victim impact statement, his stepmother said the call ‘caused great stress and anxiety’ and she felt ‘petrified’ by the things he said.

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Mr Payne said: “She said the call made her feel physically sick and she wants Hunt to leave her alone and never contact her again.

“She believed Hunt would carry out his threats.”

Hunt, of Poplar Avenue, Kirkby, admitted sending a message by a public communication network that was offensive and menacing.

The court heard that Hunt has previous convictions for four dissimilar offences, and was last before magistrates, in Derbyshire, in January 2018, for driving offences.

Arjun Madahar, mitigating, said Hunt, who pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, had 'regretted' the message ever since and wanted to apologise.

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Sentencing, magistrates told him: “Please deal with your anger issues in other ways than making threats.”

Hunt was fined £200 and ordered to pay £50 compensation, a £34 surcharge and £85 court costs.

He was also banned from going to addresses in South Normanton and Somercotes with a 12-month restraining order.