An irate customer who rammed his car into a KFC restaurant before trying to ‘kebab’ staff with a 20ft metal pole because they refused to sell him a bargain bucket has been jailed.
Hugh Brown, 50, flipped after staff refused to serve him a £10.99 meal deal because they had closed 20 minutes earlier.
Police yesterday released shocking CCTV footage of the moment Brown burst into the takeaway in Corby, Northants., at 11.20pm on March 22 this year and demanded food.
Moments earlier Brown had accelerated his car into the front window of the restaurant before running towards the counter wielding a huge metal pole he ripped from the frame.
Three terrified staff can be seen cowering in the kitchen as Hugh laughs hysterically before hurling the pole at them “like a javelin” before fleeing.
Shockingly, he is then seen driving away and ramming a parked vehicle before smashing into a police patrol car.
Four police cars were called before he was finally arrested where Brown told cops: “I only did it because they wouldn’t give me a bargain bucket.”
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Brown pleaded guilty to affray, damaging property, dangerous driving and attempted grievous bodily harm with intent when he appeared at Northampton Crown Court on Wednesday.
Jailing him for seven years, Judge Lynn Tayton QC, told Brown: “Throughout this incident, you were described as laughing and in a strange state.
“You used a car as a weapon and intended to cause more harm that actually resulted, This matter is aggravated because it was an offence committed against a police officer in a car.
“You are very lucky nobody was very seriously injured.”
Brown, from Corby, was also banned from driving until September 2018.
Brown flew into a rage reminiscent of scenes from the Michael Douglas film ‘Falling Down’ after he pulled up at the front window of KFC to be told the restaurant had closed.
The court heard how he drove off but was spotted by off-duty Pc John Cummins who thought a ram-raid was in progress, called 999 and decided to follow him.
Adrian Harris, prosecuting, said the branch closed at 11pm and four members of staff were cleaning up when Brown arrived at the drive-through at 11.20pm.
He said: “With the lights off, it was obviously shut. The defendant got out of the car and walked up to the window.
“He was very angry. He wanted to eat and his anger was apparently because they were closed.
“He appeared to drive off, but the defendant did not drive away.
“He drove straight at the large window at the front and drove through the window in the style of a ram-raid.
“The only things that stopped him driving fully inside were the tables, bolted to the floor. The defendant revved again and got out of his car.
“He grabbed a piece of the window frame, climbed through the smashed window, walked up to the counter and threatened a member of staff, who said he wanted to fight outside.
“The defendant damaged a TV monitor using the pole, then threw it across the counter towards the four staff like a javelin. He said ‘I’ll be back in five minutes with a group’.
“The defendant drove straight into Pc Cummin’s car, then reversed away and drove into it again.
“Pc Cummins had retreated to about 12 feet away to a nearby alleyway. The defendant then smashed twice more into his car.”
Moments later a marked police car carrying Pc Ruth Hay and Pc Neil Ochalek arrived and saw Brown in his car.
Mr Harris said: “Pc Hay stopped about five metres away from him, he looked at them and laughed.
“The defendant drove at them and shunted them backwards.
“Pc Hay was terrified and thought at the time he was trying to kill her.
“She pressed her emergency button as the defendant was looking at her and laughing. He laughed throughout and to her, he looked ‘psychotic and deranged’.”
Mr Harris said when the airbag in the police car deployed, Pc Hay was trapped inside while Brown twice more rammed the vehicle.
After the fourth collision, she was able to open the door and ran off, but Brown again drove into the police car.
Brown fled on foot but officers found him hiding on a garage roof nearby. But he refused to give up and told cops: “I’ve got Hep [hepatitis] C, I’ll spit on you.”
Maxine Krone, defending, said Brown was taking 13 types of medication at the time for an anxiety disorder.
She said: “When faced with the option of fight or flight, he had decided to fight.”
