Knife threat to bailiff who clamped Helmshore man's car (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Knife threat to bailiff who clamped Helmshore man's car

9:21am Thursday 22nd October 2009 in Helmshore By Wendy Barlow, Court reporter

BAILIFFS who had clamped a car fled in terror when an angry householder charged out of his home waving a 10-inch kitchen knife, a court heard.

Recovery agents locked themselves inside their van when Nofar Ali emerged from his Helmshore home “foaming at the mouth” with rage, Burnley Crown Court was told.

But Ali, 47, of Jubilee Close, claimed he had only grabbed the knife from his kitchen to remove the disputed clamp.

David Macro, prosecuting, said bailiffs Jodie Shaw and a trainee, Doug Glentworth, had arrived at Ali’s home to recover property over an unpaid Rossendale council tax bill for a woman called Fatima Bibby.

Council bosses had traced Miss Bibby to an address in Greenfield Road, Haslingden, but further checks revealed she had moved to Jubilee Close.

The bailiffs had obtained a ‘distress warrant’, authorising them to impound a Vauxhall Corsa parked there, due to her non-payment of the debt, Miss Shaw said when she arrived at the property she spoke to two women on the drive, who told her Miss Bibby “was not there at the moment”.

But the women said they would go inside to fetch their father, the court heard, and Ali emerged from the house.

The bailiff said she told Ali that the Corsa was going to be clamped, due to the unpaid bill. But as they talked, the car was moved by one of the women.

Miss Shaw said she then intended to clamp a nearby Vauxhall Zafira but Ali said it belonged to someone else. She then insisted on seeing owner-ship documents, or it would be clamped. Ali went back in the house while the clamp was fitted but returned, with the women trying to restrain him, holding a knife.

Miss Shaw said she and her colleague, fearing for their safety, jumped in the van. “He was shouting at the window, he had hold of the knife, saying ‘come on, come on’. He was foaming at the mouth he was that angry,” she said.

But Michael Marr, defending, accused the bailiff of “hamming it up” and said she did not sound scared in a 999 call made from the van.

Mr Marr said his client had dropped the knife before he arrived at the van. He also questioned the legality of the bailiffs clamping the second car, when their warrant only applied to the Corsa.

Ali admitted using threatening behaviour but denies intending to cause harm with the knife and is facing a trial on the issue before Judge Heather Lloyd.

(Proceeding)