Pensioner threatened to kill Devizes son-in-law (From This Is Wiltshire)

Pensioner threatened to kill Devizes son-in-law

8:21am Monday 22nd March 2010 in

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A pensioner who threatened to kill his son-in-law with a crowbar has walked free from court.

But Roy Godwin has been told to stay out of Devizes for a year after launching the violent attack as his daughter’s marriage crumbled And the 71-year-old, who has no previous convictions, has also been ordered to do 120 hours of community service.

Lynne Henderson, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how Stephen Clarke is married to Godwin’s daughter Claire.

She said the couple who live in Devizes, were having problems and late last year were planning to split up.

On Sunday November 15 Mr Clarke was out on the drive of their Queens Road home when he heard a raised voice behind him and turned to see Godwin approaching him.

He was "apoplectic with rage" and brandishing a crowbar in his right hand with the crooked end pointing at his son in law.

Godwin then told him ‘I am not going to be happy until I see your blood on the end of this’ and that he was going to kill him.

“Stephen Clarke said he felt he would,” she said.

Alerted by what was going on a neighbouring off-duty policeman and PCSO raced to the scene before disarming and detaining Godwin until the police arrived.

“Mr Clarke said he was petrified, he thought he was going to die. He is scared there is going to be another repetition of this nature,” Miss Henderson said.

When he was questioned Godwin said that he had set off with the crowbar that morning with the intention of harming his son-in-law.

Godwin, of Kingswood, Bristol, pleaded guilty to threats to kill and having an offensive weapon.

Moses Tawo, defending, said “The defendant, to this very minute, is unable to comprehend his actions.

“He does concede the fact that the marital difficulties his daughter was having at the time took over his life.”

He said Godwin had got to the age of 71 without bothering the police and had never shown any signs of violence in the past.

“He is anxious to point out he no longer bears any animosity to the injured party in this,” he said.

Since the offence he said he had sought help from his GP and a counsellor and was keen to be reconciled with his daughter.

Passing sentence Judge Charles Wade said “Anger can be a very dangerous thing and when it extends to deliberately taking an item such as a crowbar, a clearly offensive weapon, from your car and advancing on your son in law and threatening to use it to kill him it becomes not only dangerous in terms of anger but very serious indeed.”

He passed a one year community order with unpaid work and imposed a restraining order banning him having contact with Mr Clarke or going to Devizes for a year.