'I'm going to kill you, I'm going to kill your children'
By Amanda Dale
A man threatened to kill the families of two Police officers after being arrested on suspicion of drink driving.
Dion Bassett, 29, spat in the face of one officer and had to be pepper sprayed after he became "aggressive".
He was yesterday found guilty of impaired driving, refusing to provide a breath test, violently resisting arrest, using threatening words, using offensive words, and assaulting a Police officer.
Magistrates' Court heard that Bassett, of Spring Benny Road, Sandys, was stopped in his work van at 12.30 a.m. on February 17, as he drove from Woody's Bar along Malabar Road.
P.c. Mark Monk said he arrested Bassett on suspicion of impaired driving after the van pulled out on the Police car, causing it to swerve.
P.c. Monk said: "His eyes were glazed and bloodshot. I asked him for his name and address but he was incoherent. He eventually identified himself as Dion Bassett, and I asked if he had been drinking and he replied 'You guys aren't touching me'."
Officers put him in handcuffs but then Bassett became "very aggressive". Additional officers arrived and P.c. Monk said: "He then started lashing out at us. He was eventually handcuffed and placed in a Police vehicle but the whole time he was saying 'You guys are f****** p*****s'.
"I saw him kick out at Sergeant Fox. He then tried to kick out at Sergeant Fox again."
Officers pepper-sprayed Bassett and took him to Somerset Police Station. P.c. Monk said the defendant kept telling him "I'm going to kill you, I'm going to kill your children".
He was then transported to Hamilton Police Station but continued his threats and told one officer: "I know you have a son, I know where you're staying".
Sergeant Grimes told the court Bassett was "very hostile" on his arrival at Hamilton Police Station.
"He continued to make threats to P.c. Monk and at one stage without warning turned and spat in P.c. Monk's face," said Sgt. Grimes.
As Bassett continued to be "very uncooperative and aggressive", officers pepper-sprayed him again and placed him in custody. When asked for a breath test, Bassett told Sg.t Grimes "F*** off, I'll f****** kill you as well".
Defending himself, Bassett claimed the accusations were "a lie". "At no time in my life did I threaten anyone else's family, because I have my own. I feel like I'm being harassed," he told the court.
He claimed he had only drunk soda water on the night of his arrest and said: "I was in a hostile mood because I was being harassed for something, I don't know what it was for."
He added that the pepper spray had left his eyes "burning" and that he never been asked to take a breath test. "I never spat in anyone's face," he said.
But acting magistrate Justin Williams said: "I've heard what you have to say and what the officers have had to say. From what I've heard I believe the Police officers. I find you guilty of these offences."
Bassett was fined $2,500 and banned from driving for a year.
