Pub chef sent ‘disgusting' texts to ex colleague

A chef at a Chelmsford pub who sent threatening texts to a colleague after a row at work has been ordered to carry out 60 hours unpaid work by Chelmsford Magistrates.

Timothy Ian Biggs, 25, of 65 Tomswood Road, Chigwell, admitted sending a communication of an offensive nature on 30 July this year to David Knocks "for the purpose of causing distress or anxiety to the recipient contrary to the Malicious Communications Act 1988."

Biggs, who is now unemployed, worked with Knocks at the Queen B pub in Chelmsford, part of Spirit Group's Flaming Grill Pubs brand.

Further texts were sent to Knocks involving a "threat to his children" suggesting his house would be set alight, but Biggs denied he had sent those.

Chair of the bench Russell Pearson said: "They're pretty disgusting aren't they? This offence is serious enough for a community order."

The court imposed a 12 month community order with the unpaid work and ordered Biggs to pay £60 victim surcharge and £80 costs.

Biggs told the court: "I sent the first three messages. The rest of them were someone else. I worked with him for a couple of weeks and he didn't make my life very easy."

Barry Hargreaves, prosecuting, said: "Both men were employed as chefs at the Queen B pub in Chelmsford and on 30 July Mr Knocks arrived ten minutes late for his shift and there was an argument between them.

"Mr Knocks walked out and went home where he received text messages - ‘motherf….r', ‘you pile of s..t,' and ‘go f..k your dirty Mrs' before deciding to go back to pub to confront Biggs.

"An altercation occurred between them with Biggs hitting Mr Knocks but no further action was taken. Mr Knocks again went home and about 7pm received another message saying: ‘I am coming to your house' and ‘watch what happens at your house tonight - hope your kids like sleeping in fire.'

"Mr Knocks then phoned the police and Biggs was arrested - he admitted the others but denied the last one saying ‘a friend of a friend sent those'", said Mr Hargreaves.

A spokesperson for Spirit Pub Company said: "We can confirm there was an altercation between two employees at the Queen B on 30 July 2013, this was a personal incident between the two and no others were involved. The management on duty followed the correct procedures and both employees resigned from their positions instantly."