Wheelchair user, 58, who told PCSO to ‘get back on your boat and go home’ in foul-mouthed rant is found guilty of harassment
- John Hinton also branded veteran PCSO Dave Mahon a ‘f****** waste of space’
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A wheelchair-bound man has been landed with a criminal conviction after branding a police community support officer a ‘part-time copper’ during an angry rant.
John Hinton, 58, found himself in court after branding Dave Mahon a ‘f****** waste of space’ and telling the experienced PCSO: ‘Get back on your boat and go home.’
Mr Mahon – who has patrolled a stretch of Cheshire for 17 years – was said to have been ‘offended’ by the abuse, sparked by allegations of dangerous driving involving Hinton’s stepson.
Lawyers for Hinton said his choice of words ‘might not be appropriate in polite company’ but insisted the words used were not illegal and uttered during a ‘heated exchange.’
However he was convicted of using threatening behaviour with intent to cause the PCSO harassment, alarm or distress following a trial and fined £180.
John Hinton (above) delivered a foul-mouthed tirade to a police community support officer who dropped by his house to discuss allegations that his son had been driving dangerously
PCSO Dave Mahon said he had heard of the expression ‘part-time copper’ before – but added that he did not become a community support officer ‘to be abused’
John Hinton admitted he should not have been so ‘abrupt’ with the PCSO but was convicted of using threatening behaviour with intent
Following their introduction by David Blunkett when he was Home Secretary in 2002, PCSOs were widely ridiculed ‘plastic police’.
The incident occurred on October 3 last year when Mr Mahon called at Hinton’s home in Warrington after claims that his partner’s son was speeding around the area in his BMW.
Police bodycam footage of the encounter played to Warrington magistrates court showed Mr Mahon saying concerns had been expressed that his partner’s son ‘was going to kill some children.’
But Hinton was heard replying: ‘Bulls***.
‘You have come to my front door giving my stepson grief. You are not even a copper, you are a PCSO, a part-time copper.
‘Get away from my door, you are trespassing on my property. Get back on your boat and go home.’
As the officer backed away uttering a ‘nervous laugh’, Hinton then shouts ‘You are a f****** waste of space, go away’, before slamming his front door.
Mr Mahon accepted he had heard the expression ‘part-time copper’ before and said he was ‘fairly resilient’ about expletives being used.
But he said he had joined Cheshire Police ‘to help my community and not to be abused’.
Giving evidence, Hinton he had been asleep when the PCSO called round that afternoon and was awakened by ‘banging on the door’.
‘I do not appreciate it when I am woken up with something that has nothing to do with me,’ he added.
Hinton admitted he should not have been so ‘abrupt’, but said: ‘People are getting robbed on the estate and bodies are getting found in the woods, and he was coming to my house about a car.’
His lawyer, Gary Schooler, told magistrates that swearing at a police officer, or arguing with them, was not illegal.
‘He did not do anything that could cause the officer to fear for his own safety,’ he added.
After being found guilty, Hinton was also ordered to pay £310 in costs and a £72 victim surcharge.
The court heard his stepson was issued with a warning about his driving.
Afterwards local beat manager PC Ann Muldowney said Mr Mahon was ‘much-loved’ in the area ‘and for him to be subject to verbal abuse whilst serving his community will not be tolerated, and nor should it be.’
