A man took an axe into the street before he phoned the police to tell them that if they did not come quickly he would murder his neighbour. police received a phone call from Mathew Pond, 35, telling them he was outside his address in Cotmanhay Road, Ilkeston. in the street with an axe, making various threats as to what he would do if they did not come.
He said the reason he did so was because he was in fear of his own safety after receiving transphobic threats from the man. Derby Crown Court heard how after being released on bail the defendant then began sending racist messages to his landlord and told that victim's father he would "hang him from a tree", Derbyshire Live reports. And that in 2018 the same offender racially abused a police officer who had been called to a bonfire party at the defendant’s mother’s Derbyshire pub.
Steven Taylor, prosecuting, said the first incident took place in Ilkeston on May 27, last year. He said police received a phone call from the defendant telling them he was outside his address in Cotmanhay Road, in the street with an axe, making various threats as to what he would do if they did not come.
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The prosecutor said: "Essentially he was saying he was in fear of violence himself as he had been threatened because he was transgender. He said 'send the police now, I am outside my neighbour's house in Cotmanhay Road and I am not going to put the axe down until the police get here'. He said 'if my neighbour gets here before the police he will get murdered'."
Mr Taylor said officers arrived at the scene quickly and saw that Pond had the weapon, which he put down in the middle of the road. He said the defendant was told to get on the floor which he did and was arrested.
The prosecutor said in interview he named a neighbour who he said was making transphobic threats towards him describing it as "a hate crime" against him. Mr Taylor said after being released from custody, Pond then began sending his landlord abusive messages, some of which were racist.
He said this was because he wanted to start preparing and selling food from the kitchen of his rented property which the victim said he would not allow as it breached the terms of his tenancy. The prosecutor said on one day Pond sent the landlord 40 messages including one which said "you don't belong here and you never will".
Mr Taylor said the defendant then went to a convenience shop owned by the landlord and where the victim's father was working. He said when he arrived he began to racially abuse the man and told him he would "hang him from a tree". Pond, who told the court his full name was Prince Matthew David Pond, pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article - namely the axe - and a racially-aggravated public order offence.
Judge Jonathan Bennett handed him a 30-month community order, with 30 rehabilitation sessions and 160 hours unpaid work. He also handed the defendant a 12 month exclusion from entering Cotmanhay Road and ordered him to pay £200 compensation each to the two victims. Digby Johnson, mitigating, said his client was sorry for what he did.
