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Chef grabs hammer during road rage argument with 17-year-old riding side by side with dad

The teenager was accused of 'illegally riding' two abreast...

A chef grabbed a hammer from the boot of his car after he became infuriated that a 17-year-old was riding two abreast.

Kenny Pinkstone, 33, was the front seat passenger in a car that passed the teenager, who was out cycling with his dad.

The teenager said he’d heard the car horn sound and saw Pinkstone had his hand out the passenger window, Oxford Crown Court heard.

The teenager told the court that a short while later he arrived at a pub, near Abingdon, and found Pinkstone standing outside.

The court heard Pinkstone then confronted the youth, asking him: “Why were you riding side by side? It’s illegal, you shouldn’t be doing that.”

The boy explained that it was allowed and Pinkstone then began arguing with the boy’s father, The Oxford Mail reports.

CCTV showed Pinkstone go to the boot of his car, retrieve a claw hammer then walk back towards the father and son.

The hammer was not brandished however, and Pinkstone’s mother, who had been driving the car when it passed the cyclists, intervened.

In a statement read to the court by prosecutor Kellie Enever, the teenager said he felt like he couldn’t move during the incident because he was in such shock.

Christopher Pembridge, mitigating, said the incident had been extremely limited in duration and his client had not intended to use the hammer.

He’d had the tool in the car as he was going to put up some pictures at the pub.

Pinkstone had been diagnosed with ADHD and on the morning of the road rage incident had not taken his medication. 

Sentencing him to nine months’ imprisonment suspended for two years, Judge Ian Pringle QC described the defendant’s behaviour as ‘completely unacceptable’. 

“I agree,” replied Pinkstone.

As part of his suspended sentence, he must do 120 hours of unpaid work, pay £200 costs and complete up to 12 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Pinkstone, of Broadway, Didcot, pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon.

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29 comments

Avatar
EK Spinner | 2 years ago
2 likes

If (IF) this behavior is directly linked to not taking one mornings medication, then the defence are surely claiming that it is vital he takes his medication on time, so vital in fact that it should be administered by medical professionals, and to ensure the patient is available for this perhaps we should have some gaurds to ensure he stays on the hospital premises.

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Roulereo | 2 years ago
2 likes

Wow, this coward Kenny ticks all the bingo numbers: picks on a kid / it wasn't me it was my medication / lies about using a weapon. 

Sad to see you have such cowards as we do in the Aussie court system, usually we have extra bingo numbers for 'troubled upbringing', 'can't have a conviction because it prevents him from being a firefighter' (a favourite of violent footballers), and the  'mental health' get out of jail free card. 

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brooksby | 2 years ago
3 likes

Doesn't 'assault' include 'fear of harm'?  So, going and getting the hammer and then coming back to the 'conversation' creates the fear of being hit with the hammer regardless of whether the hammer is then used...

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Hirsute replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
2 likes

I think you missed this bit

"He had almost 70 offences on his record, although nothing for weapons."

So no need to worry !

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Rick_Rude | 2 years ago
1 like

Maybe he was just stopping the cyclist to show him his MC Hammer impersonation?

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Captain Badger replied to Rick_Rude | 2 years ago
11 likes

Rick_Rude wrote:

Maybe he was just stopping the cyclist to show him his MC Hammer impersonation?

Stop

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lolol replied to Captain Badger | 2 years ago
0 likes

His Mitigating Circumstaces hammer?

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brooksby replied to lolol | 2 years ago
2 likes

lolol wrote:

His Mitigating Circumstaces hammer?

Hammer Time.

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wycombewheeler replied to Captain Badger | 2 years ago
1 like

Captain Badger wrote:

Rick_Rude wrote:

Maybe he was just stopping the cyclist to show him his MC Hammer impersonation?

Stop

hammer time

Avatar
Captain Badger replied to wycombewheeler | 2 years ago
2 likes

wycombewheeler wrote:

Captain Badger wrote:

Rick_Rude wrote:

Maybe he was just stopping the cyclist to show him his MC Hammer impersonation?

Stop

hammer time

If anybody still needs my joke explained, I'm perfectly willing to break it down.

Avatar
brooksby replied to Captain Badger | 2 years ago
1 like

Captain Badger wrote:

wycombewheeler wrote:

Captain Badger wrote:

Rick_Rude wrote:

Maybe he was just stopping the cyclist to show him his MC Hammer impersonation?

Stop

hammer time

If anybody still needs my joke explained, I'm perfectly willing to break it down.

Maybe you'll have to pray, just to make it today?

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eburtthebike replied to Rick_Rude | 2 years ago
0 likes

Rick_Rude wrote:

Maybe he was just stopping the cyclist to show him his MC Hammer impersonation?

Timmy Mallet?

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Jenova20 | 2 years ago
6 likes

"Christopher Pembridge, mitigating, said the incident had been extremely limited in duration and his client had not intended to use the hammer."

Then why did he go to the car and come back with a weapon? And it is a weapon in the way it was taken out to use for intimidation.

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TriTaxMan replied to Jenova20 | 2 years ago
3 likes

exactly...... I'm surprised that the oik's lawyer didn't try the "my client was frightened for their life by the menacing cyclist because they had a helmet and gloves on so they needed the hammer for self defense"  its about as believable as the lies they are telling with the "his client had not intended to use the hammer" BS

 

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Captain Badger replied to TriTaxMan | 2 years ago
3 likes

TriTaxMan wrote:

exactly...... I'm surprised that the oik's lawyer didn't try the "my client was frightened for their life by the menacing cyclist because they had a helmet and gloves on so they needed the hammer for self defense"  its about as believable as the lies they are telling with the "his client had not intended to use the hammer" BS

 

Exactly. He did in fact use the hammer, in an attempt to bully and intimidate. The fact he went to get it demonstrates this.

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janusz0 | 2 years ago
11 likes

It's time that one of us mentions that Pinkstone was being driven "two abreast".  Three abreast cars are also available, one abreast cars are rare.

 

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RoubaixCube | 2 years ago
19 likes

I have ADHD, I've had to live with it all the way through my youth and I sure got into a lot of fights in school because of it. But it doesnt make me go out of my way pick up a weapon and threaten someone with it nor does it give me the right to.

ADHD often makes me impulsive and as result i have made silly decisions in life - Thats just how it goes. But it has never made me so mad enough to pick up anything with the intent to use it as a weapon to threaten or injure others with.

Dont fall for this man's BS.

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ReCycling Dave replied to RoubaixCube | 2 years ago
9 likes

I've been diagnosed as combined ADHD but due to my age the GPs won't prescribe the recomended medication

I have never for one moment thought that would mitigate anything, I too struggle with impulse control but I know damn well it's not an excuse for violence or the threat of it

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OldRidgeback | 2 years ago
8 likes

Kenny Pinkstone evidently has a screw loose. Using a hammer wouldn't fix it.

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Sriracha replied to OldRidgeback | 2 years ago
1 like
OldRidgeback wrote:

Kenny Pinkstone evidently has a screw loose. Using a hammer wouldn't fix it.

Maybe he's from Manchester?

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AlsoSomniloquism | 2 years ago
10 likes

Man riding two abreast in a motor vehicle moans that cyclists were riding two abreast. 

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Hirsute | 2 years ago
7 likes

Is there going to be an order re his medication otherwise what is going to stop a worse incident?

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
8 likes

"He had almost 70 offences on his record, although nothing for weapons."

Looks like he was lucky not to be jailed anyway. Serial offender.

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lllnorrislll replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
4 likes
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eburtthebike | 2 years ago
5 likes

I'm sure the new HC will put an end to such incidents.

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Captain Badger | 2 years ago
7 likes

Of course he didn't inend to use the hammer, what a leap of imagination, really!

The fact that he made a point of fetching it from his car at that precise moment is purely coincidental. No doubt he saw a nail protruding from the pub door frame as he was politely discussing the HWC and, being such a public-spirited individual thought "that could do someone a nasty injury" and fetched the hammer to tap it flush.

His mum only intervened to ensure his attention was focused on the impromptu DIY, and nothing to do with her knowing exactly what her little scrote of a son is actually like.... 

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hawkinspeter replied to Captain Badger | 2 years ago
7 likes

I suspect that he only intended to use the hammer as an intimidation tool (against a 17 year old!). Personally, I don't see a huge difference between threatening someone with a hammer and hitting someone with a hammer as the person being threatened doesn't know that they're not going to end up in hospital. It's still assault, but obviously not causing physical damage.

As this was clearly road rage related, I think he should have received a driving ban as well.

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Grahamd replied to hawkinspeter | 2 years ago
7 likes

hawkinspeter wrote:

As this was clearly road rage related, I think he should have received a driving ban as well.

I disagree as he wasn't driving it is unlikely he will benefit from the lenient sentences given to drivers. 

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hawkinspeter | 2 years ago
10 likes

So, there seems to be a lot of toxicity in media against cycling and cyclists which can lead to violent responses from drivers and yet the Government believes that amending a few sections of the Highway Code is sufficient.

Here's the link to the petition again: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/588492

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