By Armed man threatens neighbour in Immingham
An Immingham man is said to have pulled out a shotgun before threatening his neighbour following an ongoing dispute over loud music.
Following several complaints regarding the volume of the music, and incidents of both neighbours increasing the volume of their music in retaliation to each other, one is said to have grabbed a sledgehammer.
This prompted Wayne Porter, 45, to take out a shotgun and threaten to shoot the other resident.
He was originally been charged with intent to cause a neighbour to believe that violence would be used, but the charge was dropped.
Instead, he admitted affray on February 16.
Grimsby Crown Court heard how the issue had escalated over a four month period, and that Porter held the gun legally.
It is alleged that although Porter did not point the gun at his neighbour, he admitted that he intended to shoot them.
The shotgun was not loaded and there were safety caps in the barrel, meaning that it could not be fired.
Although his response to the incident is not condoned, the prosecution said there was some significance in the fact that Porter did not actually point the gun.
Judge Ahmed Nadim said that it was disappointing to see such a “childish contest.”
He added:
“You decided to engage in a game of one-upmanship and return from your house with a double-barrelled shotgun.
“I accept that it wasn’t pointed at anyone. It was not loaded at the time. The trigger wasn’t being held and was in a locked position.
“That spectacle caused a sense of fear and alarm and that’s the crux of your wrongdoing.
“The offence involved the display of a frightening weapon in the context of a situation where both sides are behaving in an increasingly challenged way towards each other.
“This was a serious breach of the law.”
Following the armed incident in Immingham, Wayne Porter had spent 36 days in custody before being allowed bail.
He had not returned to his home since his arrest four months earlier.
Wayne Porter has subsequently received a six-month suspended prison sentence.
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