Mansfield man provoked by mentally-ill uncle into street fight

A Mansfield man was drawn into a fight in the street by his mentally-ill uncle, a court has heard.
Mansfield Magistrates Court.Mansfield Magistrates Court.
Mansfield Magistrates Court.

John-Paul Allen stopped his truck in Warsop, where his uncle was “shouting and doing kung fu type steps in the middle of the road,” at 6.30pm, on Saturday, August 5, said prosecutor Judith Kirkham.

“He was making threats and asking him to come out and fight. Some of what he was saying didn’t make sense at all,” she said.

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“Mr Allen said he didn’t want to fight his uncle. He reversed his vehicle but then stopped and got out.”

Allen’s uncle hit him and Allen hit him back before police were called.

Allen, 23, of Park Hall Road, Mansfield Woodhouse, admitted using threatening or abusive words and behaviour, when he appeared before Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Monday.

Mary Dixon, mitigating, said there had been “mental health difficulties” with Allen’s uncle and Allen’s mother had tried to get him sectioned.

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“He was clearly very disordered in the middle of the road,” she said. “Mr Allen took a lot of abuse from his uncle.

“He was going to walk back and speak to him to try and get him to calm down. In the first instance he acted as a peace maker. But he admits that he retaliated. It is unfortunate he wasn’t given a warning.”

Allen was fined £80, with costs of £40 and a £30 victim surcharge.

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