Debt dispute led to golf club chase (From The Advertiser Series)

Darlington man chased attacker down street with golf club

2:14pm Sunday 9th September 2012 in News By Steven Hugill

A DISPUTE over an outstanding £10 debt led to a man to chase his victim down the street wielding a golf club.

Driss Ben Seghir, 29, of High Northgate, Darlington, ran after the man along Gladstone Street, after he had threatened him with the weapon in June.

Darlington Magistrates’ Court heard Ben Seghir, originally from Morocco, grabbed the man by the throat in an attempt to calm him down, but was struck with the club.

His attacker then ran off, with Ben Seghir briefly giving chase with the club in his hand before dropping it just yards later.

The court was told when both men were arrested by police, Ben Seghir told his attacker he would slap him, with officers believing the threat to mean through use of the club.

However, Jonathan Harley, mitigating, said Ben Seghir, who pleaded guilty on the day of his trail to using threatening words and behaviour, had no intention of using the weapon.

He said: “He is not an inherently violent person and when he told the man he would slap him, he meant with his hand and not the club.

“It was a very stupid thing to do and quite disgusting for someone to see, but there was an extreme degree of provocation.

“He lost his job six months ago and is at a low ebb, his head was in a mess when this happened.

“However, he is training to become a security officer and is determined never to trouble the courts again.”

Magistrates gave Ben Seghir a three-year conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £160 costs.