Boston artist who threatened neighbours with golf club he calls his ‘hello stick’ given a suspended prison sentence
A shirtless artist who threatened neighbours with a golf club he called his ‘hello stick’ has been given a suspended prison sentence.
Ryan Wesley Gardner must also attend a rehabilitation programme and pay out more than £450 after facing a string of other charges including common assault, racial abuse and sending threatening messages to a dog owner whose pet he purchased from the complainant’s mother without her knowledge.
The defendant – who had no previous convictions – faced seven charges dating from between August and October last year when he appeared at Boston Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (February 28).
A further charge of assault by beating had previously been found in his absence.
Prosecutor Paul Wood told the court that on September 21, 2023, 45-year-old Gardner used threatening and abusive words towards three neighbours who lived at two separate properties on Boston’s King Street.
Mr Wood told the court the defendant banged on the door of the home of one complainant whose ‘two-year-old child was frightened by the noise’ as Gardner became ‘aggressive’.
After threatening to ‘punch’ the complainant, Gardner returned from his home address with a golf club and turned his attention to a male and female at another address.
“Shirtless and waving the club around he was saying ‘bring it on’ and ‘now get your b*stard neck in you fat c*nt’,” Mr Wood continued.
The prosecution added that Gardner was accusing the second complainant of spitting on him and tapping the golf club on his window frame.
“The incident was filmed and in police interview Mr Gardner said he didn’t want to watch the footage as he didn’t want to see himself behave out of character,” Mr Wood continued.
“He then called (the complainant he accused of spitting) a fat little tw*t and said he called his golf club his ‘hello stick’.”
The court was told of further charges of racially aggravated harassment and damage relating to incidents on King Street in October 16 and 18 of last year.
Mr Wood explained Gardner was seen removing a ‘no trespassing’ sign from the fence of a nearby property when he spotted the resident, who rented the home, watching him.
Mr Wood said the defendant told his neighbour he would ‘put you in a box and push you back down the river to Nigeria’.
Two days later the complainant heard Gardner complaining that a white van was parked in the street before Gardner – who was also charged with damaging the rear windscreen wiper of the van – called him a ‘black c*nt’.
At this moment, another man passing by, who does not live on the street, became involved in an altercation with Gardner, which led to the man being ‘punched in the face’, Mr Wood added.
Magistrates were then shown a picture of the man’s injuries, to which Gardner said: “If I had touched him it’d be worse than that.”
Mr Wood then relayed a further charge of sending threatening messages between August 29 and September 15, 2023, which he described as ‘unconnected’ to the other incidents.
“The complainant went on holiday and left her dog in the care of her mother,” he explained.
“She returned home to discover her mother had sold the dog to Gardner without her knowledge.
“The dog ran away and was found by a member of the public and taken to the vet. It was microchipped and returned to its true owner.”
Mr Wood – who said Gardner had been in ‘no prior scrapes with the law until these incidents’ - added the defendant began sending abusive messages to the dog owner when the animal was not returned to him.
These included calling her a 'fat lowlife', suggesting he'd 'get the boys round' and stating 'I might as well f*cking murder you'.
Defending himself, Gardner told the court that the incident with the golf club related to him being angered by one neighbour ‘slagging off’ his home town of Boston and another spitting on him earlier in that day.
“I don’t spit on people. he’s a dirty b*stard,” he told magistrates.
“And if you don’t like Boston, go live somewhere else. I happen to like it here.”
Responding to the charges of racial abuse, he said he reacted after the complainant kissed his teeth at him, a noise of disapproval made by sucking air through one’s teeth.
“Being of coloured origin I know how disrespectful it is to kiss your teeth at someone. It’s an insult in the black community,” Gardner said.
“I reacted to the provocation of other people.”
When asked about the assault on the passer by that followed, Gardner added: “He came over giving it the big man. He kicked me in the nuts.
“Once I lose my temper I don’t know how to stop.”
Gardner had previously indicated guilty pleas to charges of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, using threatening and abusive words and behaviour with intent to cause fear and sending threatening messages, plus two charges of racially aggravated harassment and two counts of damaging property of unknown value.
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He said he was unable to attend court for the assault charge due to the police confiscating his phone.
“I had no phone, no internet and a lot of art work to keep me busy at my home,” Gardner added.
Magistrates handed Gardner a three-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, warning him he faced jail if he re-offended in that time.
Gardner was also told to attend three rehabilitation requirement days with the probation service.
There were no separate penalties for the two charges of damaging property.
Sentencing Gardner for the common assault charge, the defendant was ordered to pay £100 compensation, £200 costs and a £154 victim surcharge.
Gardner – who said he had no money but refuses to claim benefits because he doesn’t want to take funds from the Government – was told to pay the fines within six months.
Due to living so close to the majority of the complainants, magistrates agreed it would be impossible to impose a restraining order, but chairman of the bench David Milner-Scudder warned the defendant to ‘stay away from them’.
“All I can do is ignore them,” Gardner added. “I’m not as thick as I am cabbage looking.”
