A MAN who threatened to kill a parent with a wrench in the playground of a special needs school in Yeovil narrowly escaped being jailed when he appeared in court.

Ian Platt approached the victim in the playground of Fairmead School and swung the wrench towards the victim, trying to hit him three times while shouting out “I’m going to kill you.”

The victim was with his young son who he moved behind him to protect him. and other children were in the vicinity at the time and witnessed what happened.

In a personal statement read to the court, the victim said he had been left afraid for his own safety ever since the incident, always having to be vigilant and always kept his door locked with a safety chain.

He said: “I am worried about what will happen to me and my family and what he is capable of, and because of what he did at Fairmead School I am worried he will do something like this again, or even worse.

“It has also impacted my son who has been left scared and frightened and he believes that Mr Platt could have killed me.

“It has affected my day-to-day life with how unsafe I feel and has affected how I feel mentally.”

Platt, 54, of Netherton Road, Yeovil, pleaded guilty to assaulting Nigel Fowler at Yeovil on March 25 when he appeared in the dock before Somerset Magistrates.

Prosecutor Ben Winzer said it was a serious matter where the defendant was armed with a wrench when he went to Fairmead School on Mudford Road.

“When he went there he approached Mr Fowler and lifted the wrench in his right hand right up in the air and brought it down in a swinging motion, trying to hit the victim three times,” he said.

“While he was doing this he was shouting ‘I’m going to kill you’ and then repeated the threat.”

Mr Winzer said the offence was committed at a school and while young children were in the area.

As a result he said the prosecution would be applying for a restraining order to be imposed.

Appearing unrepresented, Platt admitted going to the playground and had a bar with him but conceded he should not have used it as a weapon.

He claimed the victim was threatening his children and said the wrench fell out of his pocket and it was then in his hand.

“I’m guilty of the offence, but not guilty of being a father,” he said.

The magistrates told Platt there had been significant aggravating features in the case with a weapon being used and a threat to kill where there were vulnerable, special needs children.

They sentenced him to a 12-month community order with 300 hours unpaid work and also ordered him to pay £500 compensation to Mr Fowler.

They also made a two-year restraining order, during which time he must not attend Fairmead School in Yeovil and must not contact Mr Fowler directly or indirectly.