Cumbrian Farmer Sentenced Over Pitchfork Death Threats To Builder

A Cumbrian farmer has been sentenced after threatening to kill a builder during a dispute over payment for building work.

Carlisle Magistrates’ Court heard that Geoffrey Wilcox, 69, became involved in a dispute with a self-employed builder who had carried out walling work at his home. The work had taken place over a period of two months before the disagreement developed following the delivery of an invoice. Wilcox objected to the amount requested and refused to pay the bill, leading to an increasingly difficult exchange between the two men.

The builder had been contracted to carry out walling work at Wilcox’s property, with the work taking place over several weeks. After receiving the invoice, Wilcox complained about the amount he had been asked to pay. During a subsequent telephone conversation, the situation became heated, with the court hearing that Wilcox made threats towards the builder during the discussion.

A prosecutor told the court that Wilcox threatened to put a shovel through the builder’s face and to knock him out during the telephone conversation. The builder subsequently sent a revised bill after reducing the amount he was seeking. However, the dispute did not end there, with further threatening communications later being sent by Wilcox.

During the first half of March this year, Wilcox sent a series of text messages to the builder. Among the messages was a threat involving a pitchfork and a statement that he would kill the builder the following day. The messages were treated as menacing communications and were later presented to the court as evidence in the case.

The builder told police that the incident had affected his sense of security at his home. In a statement, he explained that he had decided to install cameras at his address, including cameras directed towards his other vehicles, because he was concerned they could be damaged. He also said he had become more cautious about his surroundings and was frequently looking out of his windows because he was worried that Wilcox could appear at the property.

The threats were made against the background of a disagreement over the cost and quality of the work. When speaking to police, Wilcox admitted sending the messages but said he had been responding to what he considered to be an extremely high bill. He also alleged that the workmanship had been poor, providing his explanation for how the dispute had escalated.

Wilcox pleaded guilty to sending menacing messages by means of a public communications network. The offence related to the threatening communications sent to the builder during the dispute. His guilty plea meant the case could be dealt with at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court, where the circumstances surrounding the threats were considered before sentence was imposed.

Wilcox told magistrates that he regretted becoming angry during the dispute. He described the situation as being driven by frustration and acknowledged that his actions had gone too far. He also told the court that he and the builder had previously been good friends, highlighting the deterioration in their relationship before the threats were made.

Wilcox, who lives on Moor Lane in Brougham, Penrith, was sentenced to a 12 month community order. Magistrates took account of his remorse when imposing the sentence. Rather than receiving an immediate custodial sentence, he was required to complete a number of requirements as part of the community order.

As part of his sentence, Wilcox must complete 40 hours of unpaid work. He must also undertake eight days of rehabilitation work with the probation service. These requirements form part of the community order and are intended to address his behaviour while providing supervision and structured intervention.

The court also imposed a restriction preventing Wilcox from contacting the builder for one year. The order means he must not communicate directly with the man during that period. The restriction forms an additional part of the sentence following the threatening messages and the concerns raised by the builder about his safety and property.

The case arose from a private dispute that escalated from a disagreement over an invoice into threats of serious violence. The court heard that Wilcox had initially challenged the amount charged for the work and later complained about the standard of the workmanship. Despite the bill being reduced, the dispute continued and eventually resulted in the threatening messages.

The builder’s statement indicated that the threats had consequences beyond the messages themselves. He said he had changed the way he approached security at his address and had become more conscious of his surroundings. His decision to install cameras was linked to concerns that his vehicles or other property could be damaged following the confrontation.

The sentencing brings the court proceedings over the threatening communications to a conclusion, although the dispute itself provides a reminder of how disagreements over work and payment can escalate when communication breaks down. In this case, the threats resulted in a criminal conviction and a community order containing both unpaid work and rehabilitation requirements.

The one year no contact condition also places a clear restriction on further communication between Wilcox and the builder. Alongside the unpaid work and probation requirements, it forms part of the sentence imposed after Wilcox admitted the offence. The court's decision followed his guilty plea and consideration of the circumstances surrounding the threatening messages.

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