A 32-year-old man has been jailed for 28 months after firing a paintball gun at a group of men, then using a crossbow to smash their taxi’s window before threatening the passengers inside.
Thomas King of Alford Close, Beeston pleaded guilty to threats to kill, possession of an offensive weapon, affray, criminal damage, dangerous driving and driving whilst disqualified today at Nottingham Crown Court.
The charges relate to a road rage incident in Nottingham city centre on 24 November 2019 outside Alea Casino on Upper Parliament Street in the early hours. A group of friends had been on a night out and flagged down a taxi outside the casino to travel home.
Directly behind the taxi was a white BMW, driven by a disgruntled King who started to beep his horn, as he couldn’t get past the vehicle.
An agitated King wasn’t pleased that he couldn’t move and was seen moving into a firing position with a paintball gun, pointing the weapon out of the driver’s window. The gun was discharged several times, striking both the taxi and a man standing waiting to get into the taxi.
After firing, King drove his car past the victims who kicked the car in frustration. This further angered King who swore at the men for kicking his car.
King then stopped his car and leant out of the window again, shooting the gun towards the taxi around half a dozen times. King then drove off at speed away from the scene.
The four men were in the taxi ready to travel home, when the BMW reappeared, driving diagonally across the carriageway through bollards and into the path of the taxi. The car blocked the carriageway, before King got out of his car armed with a crossbow. He outstretched it in his arms, as if he was aiming, and smashed the rear window of the taxi, using it as an instrument.
King then pointed the crossbow through the broken window towards the victims and said, ‘I’m going to kill you.’
He made several attempt to fire the crossbow, but it malfunctioned and failed to discharge.
The four men, fearing for their lives, knew this was their chance to escape and barged out of the taxi and tried to detain King. He was wrestled to the ground, still in possession of the crossbow, before it was finally removed from him and moved to safety.
King struggled free and returned to his vehicle before driving away dangerously and at speed through a busy city centre.
Officers spent hours tracking down King and forensically tested blood that was on King’s jacket, which was left at the scene, which led to the eventual arrest on 12 of December 2019.
Detective Constable Laura Price led the investigation. She said: “This was a terrifying incident for those involved and thankfully no one was injured that night. The victims feared for their lives. If the crossbow had not failed, it could have been a completely different story.
“We take all reports involving weapons extremely seriously, and our officers were quickly on the scene in this case.
“Detectives worked around the clock working on this case since that night and we are pleased with today’s result. We hope it gives those involved some closure that he is now behind bars.”
