Man made threats to burn down Sutton Bridge bar-restaurant after hearing comment made about his partner

A man who made repeated threats to burn down a bar-restaurant has been hit with a community order and fine.

Forty-six-year-old Jamie Bunn said he would use ‘five litres of petrol’ to torch the Riverside venue in Sutton Bridge after hearing disparaging comments made about his partner, a court was told.

In doing so he was in breach of a court order imposed for nuisance calls and criminal damage earlier this year.

Prosecutor Paul Wood told Boston Magistrates’ Court Bunn was in the bar on April 5 when the owner told him he had been ‘engaging in inappropriate behaviour following an exchange between him and another customer’.

“The owner told him not to do that and his response was to say ‘I’ve got five litres of petrol outside and I will set fire to your pub’.

Mr Wood said calls were then made to the Riverside by Bunn, with threats such as ‘that’s a warning, your pub is going up next’.

“The police were in attendance when another call was made and the officer heard a voice saying he wanted an apology or he’d burn the place down,” Mr Wood added.

“The officer told him he was a police officer and he responded ‘I don’t give a f*** who you are’.”

Defending Bunn, Phillipa Chatterton said her client became angered after a comment was made about his partner, adding there was ‘a background of animosity’ between Bunn and the venue’s owner.

“It’s a small town and gossip is rife. Things escalate quickly,” Miss Chatterton said.

“He heard a comment about his partner’s size, which upset his partner. He was defending her honour.

“He had no intention of carrying out the threat. They were stupid but hollow threats.”

Miss Chatterton added Bunn, a self-employed plasterer who currently receives universal credit, has since left Sutton Bridge to live at Fengate, Peterborough.

A probation report said Bunn admitted to having ‘an inability to control his anger verbally’ and ‘says whatever comes to mind when he’s pissed off’.

Bunn pleaded guilty to making threats to destroy a property on Wednesday (August 28).

He also accepted he was in breach of an order imposed on January 8 for making nuisance calls and criminal damage to a phone box.

Bunn was handed a 12-month community order with 20 community rehabilitation days, and was also fined £40 and told to pay a £114 surcharge and £85 costs.

No further action was taken over the breach.

“We will let this run. Stay out of trouble and you’ll hear no more about it,” chairman of the bench Julie Nuttell said.