A man who wielded a taser during a pub fight has escaped a prison sentence.
James Webdell appeared at Swindon Magistrates’ Court today (Monday 26 September) to be sentenced for a charge of possessing an electrical incapacitation device under the Firearms Act.
Prosecutor Keith Ballinger said the 33-year-old defendant, of Conan Doyle Walk in Liden, was arrested following reports of a fight at The Tap and Barrel in Manchester Road on 4 July.
When police officers arrived at the scene, they spoke to Webdell, who was holding a small torch-type device which he then dropped. They immediately noticed wires protruding from it.
On speaking to witnesses, officers established that the weapon was wielded during the disorder. The device was seized and sent off for forensic examination, which confirmed it was a viable taser.
Mark Glendenning, defending, said his client has had a “long history with the courts and perhaps a longer history with alcohol”.
He said that Webdell has since moved away from a negative social circle and is spending most of his time with his partner and young daughter.
Asking the court for a suspended prison sentence, he said the defendant has growths in his colon which are likely to be cancer and is having ongoing treatment including surgery.
District Judge Joanna Dickens said the crime was “really really really serious”, but told Webdell that she wouldn’t send him to prison – instead suspending the prison term.
She imposed a six-month prison sentence and suspended it for two years. He was told to complete 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days, a six-month alcohol treatment order and 12 mental health sessions.
