Motorist used angle grinder to cut wheel clamp
By: Adrian Hearn

A motorist used a metal angle grinder to cut a wheel clamp from his car before he swung the chain at the clamper and threatened to kill him, a court heard.
Kevin Wright, 45, used the grinder to free his white Peugeot 205 after he failed to display a ticket and the car was clamped on May 29.
But Exeter Magistrates Court heard former fundraising boss Wright then swung the chain at clamper John Young before attacking his van.
He allegedly produced a metal angle grinder and spent 10 minutes cutting the wheel clamp off before leaving it on the floor.

Video footage shown to the court appeared to show Wright cutting off the clamp in a shower of sparks.
Wright denies two charges of criminal damage and one of assaulting self-employed clamper John Young.
Mr Young told the court: ”I could then hear a grinding sound of metal being cut. This was being done by another man who was not one of the two I initially saw come over.
”I got a camera from my van and decided to get photographic evidence. The man turned around and threatened me and said he was going to brain damage me.
”I was then approached by Kevin Wright who attempted to justify why he had cut the clamp off.
”He was muttering something about being clamped before and swore at me saying he was going to kill me.”
Mr Young clamped the van at 11.30pm on a street in Exeter, Devon, and was approached by the two men at about 1am.
He told the court Wright (pictured, below) picked up a metal chain from the clamp and began swinging it towards him and then used it to strike his van.

Mr Young added: ”He walked off, away from the incident but then doubled back to where the chain was and picked it up and started walking towards me.
”He was gesturing with a whipping action. At first I could not believe what I was seeing, as I had never spoken one word to him before this accident.
”I thought he was going to give my chain back, but when he started whipping it. I realised it was not what I thought.
”He circled the van with chain and smashed it on the side of the van and then did the same to the other side.
”I thought I would be next. He was cold and calculated and I thought I was going to be hit with the chain.
”He moved towards me and I had to defend myself. He lifted his arm up and I got in first and kicked him in the stomach, pushed him to the ground and fled on foot.”
Wright denies causing £70 damage to a wheel clamp and £629 damage to Mr Young’s white Berlingo van as well as one charge of assault.
The trial was adjourned until August 12.

I [LIFTED] hate clampers.

I was parked on private property, and clamped, once.
They wanted £250 from me to release the vehicle, plus a £100 towing fee (despite that I'd returned to the car after about 5 minutes, and it patently hadn't been towed).
You see, it was a studio in west London, and I was there to work, I was parked legitimately. All I was doing was speaking to the secretary to see which stage we were on.
And the [LIFTED] clamped me.

In the end, I had to plead my case to the producer of the job, who then signed out all of the days petty cash to me, to get the clamp removed.
I then had to interrupt the head of the studio to get him to explain to the clampers why I was there, and issue a refund.
It didn't just upset my day, it upset the production and their (eventual) employers.

Absolutely no time for the little [LIFTED]. With hindsight, I should've been carrying a clamp to stick on their van...

So what do you propose for people who park illegally? I get people parking on my drive all the time, sodding off to the bank. shops or to the beach. I am seriously tempted to buy a clamp and exact some revenge. They've ruined my day, I'd love to ruin theirs.

Put up a nice clear sign stating that it's private property and that vehicles are left at the owners risk.
Wait till the offender leaves then go and set fire to their car. They'll probably only do it once and certainly no more than twice.

Why are they above the law!!? On what planet is that remotely fair?? Absolute total scum, the lot of them.

I would like an end to clamping of all forms. If a car is parked illegally then ticket it. Not steal and then extort money. Though with the Tories in power no way will that happen. They were the ones that brought them in the first place.

Agreed.

I'm with the clampers. No ticket? You deserve it, it's private property after all. Cutting the clamp off is criminal damage, and threatening to kill or seriously injure someone is a crime too.

I agree but the charges are far to high.