A Milford man who used abusive behaviour towards a 12-year-old boy, threatening to stamp on his head has been fined in court.
Thirty-eight-year-old Christopher O’Brien, of Upper Hill Street, Hakin, pleaded guilty to a charge of using threatening and abusive behaviour, when he appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
Prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard-Jones told the court that the complainant a 12-year-old boy had reported to police that one afternoon on March 19, whilst he was sat with friends behind the Tesco store in Milford Haven near to the library steps, Mr. O’Brien approached him and became very abusive.
The defendant swore at the boy repeatedly and threatened to stamp on his head and put his head through a window, the court heard.
“The complainant was concerned and upset, as he is a boy and Mr. O’Brien a man,” explained Mr. Pritchard-Jones.
“The defendant told the police when interviewed that he regretted his actions, but that he had been ‘fuming’ as he had heard that the boy had been spreading rumours about him and his son.
“Mr. O’Brien told officers ‘I was fuming, but regretted it straight away. I shouldn’t have done it - the poor kid is only 12!’ and showed remorse when interviewed,” added Mr. Pritchard-Jones.
Defence solicitor Jonathan Webb said that his client had decided to take it upon himself to ‘have a word’ with the boy after he had spread unfounded rumours.
“Mr. O’Brien decided to ‘have a word’ - words of an Anglo Saxon nature and was threatening with it!
“He realised that he had got carried away, and whilst not justified, one can understand his anger at someone spreading rumours.
“Both parties have seen each other since and apologised to each other,” added Mr. Webb.
Magistrates fined Mr. O’Brien £80 for the offence and ordered him to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a £30 victim surcharge.