A rugby coach and leading sports psychologist - tormented by kids targeting his home - has been found guilty of assaulting a 15 year-old boy while clumsily making a citizen’s arrest.
John Pembridge-Hore, 53, the head coach of Rosslyn Park’s ladies team told the boy: “I’m crazy, wait here, I’ve got a gun,” Wimbledon Magistrates Court heard.
He had repeatedly called police to his £700,000 home in Kneller Road, Twickenham and complained to the local school after a dustbin and egg had been thrown at his windows.
Pembridge-Hore, who is also rugby performance coach at St. Mary’s University, Twickenham was convicted of assaulting the teen in nearby High Street, Whitton on August 11, last year.
He was placed on a twelve-month community order, which includes 120 hours community service work, must pay the boy £150 compensation, £800 court costs and an £85 victim surcharge.
District Judge Barbara Barnes told former Irish Guardsman Pembridge-Hore: “You were very angry about what you considered bad and criminal behaviour against you at your house.
“You did approach this young man to remonstrate and confront him about the behaviour of his friends and in your anger used violence towards him and grabbed him, causing him to bang his head.
“You had no right to lay hands against this young man,” she told Pembridge-Hore, who is also community rugby coach at Harlequins and a principal and lecturer at Positive Sport & Mind Cognitive Hypnotherapy College.
After his arrest he told police he ran after a trio of boys, led by a blonde-haired hoodie, after: “One boy put his hand on my gate.”
He denied making the “gun” comment to the mixed-race victim he saw chatting with the three troublemakers. “He’s talking out of his arse.
“I spoke to the kid, the rest is from cloud cuckoo land,” said Pembridge-Hore, a therapist with Anxiety UK, who graduated from University of Derby with a Master of Science in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy.
“I was aggressive, I was angry, I shouted, I was annoyed. I did not physically touch him, I didn’t knee him in the stomach.
“I told him I was going to arrest him and he started crying. I told him to: ‘F*** off’ and he ran away.”
When asked why the boy would make up a story Pembridge-Hore replied: “He’s a little toerag. I feel let down by the police. If they addressed these issues, I wouldn’t be here.”
Earlier the boy told the court: “There was a man coming towards me quickly and he started shouting in my face. He was wearing a rugby shirt and shorts and rugby socks.
“He was angry, very angry and grabbed my collar. He said it was about my friends knocking on his door and running away.
“He was forcing my head against the wall and banging it and put one of his hands on the side of my face and started to stick his thumb in my eye.
“He grabbed both my hands and tried to pull me towards his car, saying: ‘You’re coming with me.’
“He could then see a man coming over and let go of me and got in his car and drove away.”
Witness Andrew Roberts intervened and said: “A man was holding a teenager up against a wall and appeared to bring his knee up to his leg or groin.
“I said: ‘You can’t do that’ and the man said: ‘I can do that’ and walked away across the road.”
The boy was seen in hospital for a bump to the back of his head and added: “I don’t feel safe in the area I live.”
Pembridge-Hore told the court: “I wanted to know why they were harassing me. I thought he was going to run away so I grabbed his arm and his lapels to keep hold of him.
“I said: ‘Right, you’re coming with me. I’m calling the police and they’re going to arrest you.’
“He started crying, saying he did not want to be in trouble with his mum and dad. I felt sorry for him and told him where to go in no uncertain terms.”
District Judge Barnes also made Pembridge-Hore subject to a two-year restraining order, prohibiting contact with the boy.
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