Vigilante jailed for waving meat cleaver at boy racers

A vigilante has been jailed for waving a meat cleaver at a group of boy racers in a car park. Alan Robson, 51, was jailed for nine months after he admitted having a bladed article in a public place.

Exeter Crown Court heard he had been drinking in a flat in Barnstaple, north Devon, in April when he became angry at young drivers racing round. The prosecution said Mr Robson was previously convicted for punching a street entertainer for making noise.



Laura Searle, prosecuting, said on the night of the offence on 26 April police had been called to Queen Street car park to reports of a man brandishing a knife. Assistant Judge Advocate General Alan Large, at Exeter Crown Court, told Mr Robson it had been a "potentially dangerous" situation.

"Any adult will understand your annoyance that people like these drivers cause but you went out armed with a meat cleaver," he said. "They drove off but if they had not and had got out of their cars there could have been a confrontation." Sean Brunton, defending, said Robson from The Square, North Molton, needed help to tackle a drink problem.