Two immature “hooligans” who startled older people by letting off claxons and swearing at them so they could film their reactions had been given community orders.
Ian Hatwell and Scott King made 70 clips in the style of the cult TV programme ‘Jackass’ in order to make dvds which they intended to sell for money, Ipswich Crown Court heard.
Hatwell, 32, of Compass Street, Lowestoft, and Scott, 29, of Maidstone Road, Norwich, had previously pleaded guilty to an offence under the Public Order Act.
The court heard one of the victims was a retired woman who had been walking along Church Road, Kessingland when a car pulled up with two men inside. One of the men asked directions to Lowestoft, before swearing at her. She walked away telling them to have a nice life and the man replied “have a short life”.
Before sentencing them to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work as part of 12-month community orders Judge David Goodin described them as “hooligans”
Judge Goodin also said: “This course of conduct which might have been fashionable at the time actually was bullying, cruel and frightening because you picked on vulnerable victims and gave them the fright of their lives.
“It (you behaviour) was pitifully pathetic, puerile, immature and just plain stupid which mitigates to some extent any intention to be deliberately cruel.
“I accept that you have both grown up a bit.”
Previously prosecutor Michael Crimp said what the pair had done had been discovered in December 2013 when police were called to the home of the parents of Hatwell’s then partner who said they had some dvds belonging to him.
It showed clips filmed in the style of Jackass. Police then seized Hatwell’s computer.
The court heard the clips showed Hatwell in the passenger side of a car sounding a large claxon or foghorn near pedestrians or being abusive to them.
One man had liquid he assumed to water hurled over him from behind.
Mr Crimp said people’s reactions varied on the video from distress to not being particularly bothered and walking away.
Another victim, a security guard at a holiday park in Pakefield was asked by the occupants of a car for directions before having a foghorn was let off in his ear. He had only just had a hearing aid fitted, Mr Crimp added.
In police interviews about the incidents which occurred over a two or three month period in 2011 King and Hatwell expressed remorse, with Hatwell describing his disgust as his behaviour.
None of the clips made were ever sold on.
Andrew Thompson, representing Hatwell, said: “It was appalling behaviour. It’s behaviour that’s profoundly regretted by Mr Hatwell.
Laura Kenyon, representing King, said her client’s adolescent immaturity had “trickled over into adulthood” and that at the time he did not appreciate the effect of his actions.
In addition to their community orders Hatwell and King were ordered to each pay £85 costs.
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