Man chased Telford neighbours with 3ft-long corn snake

A man chased his neighbours with a three-and-a-half foot long snake during an altercation in Telford – terrifying a group of children and leaving one youngster hyperventilating, a court heard.

Mejar Singh used the orange snake 'as a weapon' during the 20-minute rampage, Telford Magistrates Court was told.

Singh, 38, admitted causing criminal damage to the windscreen of a Peugeot car and a public order offence on Christmas Eve last year.

Magistrates ordered Singh to comply with a community order for 12 months, to complete 80 hours of unpaid work, and to pay £75 compensation for the windscreen and £85 costs.

The court heard the incident was sparked after Singh, from Yellowstone Close, St Georges, was seen throwing a brick at a parked car, smashing the windscreen.

When the owner of the car and other neighbours, including children, came outside to see what was happening, they saw that Singh was carrying the snake.

Sara Beddow, prosecuting, said: "Mr Singh was holding an orange snake. He then spent around 20 minutes chasing the owner of the car and other residents using the snake as a weapon.

"The car owner said he was 'very scared' because he has a dislike of snakes.

"He ran, but Mr Singh was running behind him chasing him with the snake held out in front of him.

"Children were present and they were upset and screaming. One little girl was hyperventilating."

She said police arrested Singh a short while later in nearby woods. They confiscated the snake, which had bitten Singh on the face before it was taken away.

Shahnaz Dean, for Singh, said he had been provoked before the incident when one of his neighbours verbally abused him.

"Mr Singh knew it was a harmless corn snake. It's most unfortunate that his neighbour had a phobia of snakes," she said.