Nottingham crossbow-wielding driver jailed

Thomas King threatened to kill the passenger of a taxi in the early hours of 24 November in Nottingham last year

A man carrying a crossbow who smashed through a taxi's passenger window and threatened to kill a man has been sentenced to 28 months in jail.

Thomas King threatened to kill the victim on 24 November 2019 outside Alea Casino, Nottingham, the city's Crown Court heard.

King got annoyed when the taxi stopped in front of his car, which he was disqualified from driving.

He took out a paintball gun and shot at the taxi at least six times.

The court heard the group of men, who were getting in the taxi, retaliated by throwing a cigarette lighter at King, which hit him in the face.

King, of Wode House Avenue, Nottingham, then sped off in his BMW before returning to the scene and driving through a set of bollards.

He got out of the car with a pistol crossbow, the butt of which he used to break the passenger window, where he aimed it at one of the occupants and said: "I'm going to kill you."

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Initially King - who has 44 other convictions from 19 separate incidents - had been charged with attempted murder, but the defence said he knew "the crossbow was not capable of firing at the time".

Prosecutor Jeremy Janes said "the production of a sinister weapon and his action and words" had inflamed the situation and was "aggravated by the threat to kill".

"[The victim] thought he was going to die at the time."

Thomas King shot at the taxi with a paintball gun before returning with the crossbow

The passengers in the taxi ran after King and punched him, before he got back into his car and sped off.

King pleaded guilty to six offences on 6 May, namely:

• Possession of an offensive weapon in a public place

• Criminal damage to the taxi

• Threat to kill

• Dangerous driving

• Driving while disqualified

• Affray

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