Retford man '˜set up' with pool cue to protect auntie

A Retford man armed himself with a broken pool cue in a bid to protect his aunt after a former friend '˜set him up', a court has heard.
Mansfield Magistrates Court.Mansfield Magistrates Court.
Mansfield Magistrates Court.

Thomas James Dickson, 28, of Albert Road, admitted possessing an offensive weapon when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

Andrew Conboy, prosecuting, said Dickson had received a call from a friend who told him four men were causing trouble at his aunt’s house while he was drinking a local pub.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But when he arrived at his aunt’s Wellesley Court home he found she was giving a statement to a police officer about another matter.

“He was asked by the detective to put the pool cue down,” said Mr Conboy. “And at 7.10pm he was arrested for breaching an injunction to keep him away from the house.

“He said he took the cue to scare anyone who might be causing problems. He said he had no intention of using it.”

The court heard that Dickson had been banned from his aunt’s house with a 12 month civil injunction on July 14 because “he had been coming around under the influence of drink and drugs.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Dickson had already appeared in the county court earlier the same day for breaching the order.

Tom Oates, mitigating, said: “This is not an ordinary case. 
“An individual who appears on the same day in the county and the criminal courts for the same incident.

“He received a phone call from a former friend warning him that four men were at his auntie’s house.

“This was a lie. It was no coincidence that DC Cartwright was there.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He told the court that Dickson’s former friend wanted to start a relationship with Dickson’s younger cousin which he didn’t approve of.

“Mr Dickson is now of the view that this was an attempt to get him out of the way. He said he had been set up.”

Mr Oates added: “It is still an offence and he still needs to be punished.”

The court heard Dickson suffered from alcoholism and severe depression, and he had recently been hospitalised for self harming. Magistrates revoked an earlier community order and started it again to run from August 2 2016 for 12 months.

Dickson was ordered to attend a 20 day rehabilitation activity requirement and pay £200 in court costs.

Related topics: