THE often promoted peace of the waterways was shattered when the owner of a narrowboat assaulted two rowers, narrowly escaping jail.
Though the rowers pulled over to a bank of the Cam in Cambridge to allow Craig Darbyshire to pass in his narrowboat Pyxis, he collided with the oars, breaking one, yet took great offence, Alan Tilbury tells us.
Just an accident
He yelled at the rowers, who tried to allay the situation by telling him to calm down and that it was just an accident, but he pulled in his boat, leaped on to the bank then accosted two coaches, pushing their bikes over. He then returned to his boat and came back brandishing a brush handle then started to strike the two about the legs, so hard that the handle broke.
Not only did passers-by see the altercation, but so did another member of the rowing community, who stepped in, taking the weapon from Darbyshire.
Prosecuted
The police located the narrowboat and cautioned the boater. He has since surrendered his mooring licence issued by Cambridge City Council, and was prosecuted by the Cam Conservators under bylaws for abusive and threatening behaviour.
He has been convicted at Cambridge Magistrates for the incident which took place on Sunday, 2nd October last year. Has been fined £75 after admitting two offences of abusive and threatening behaviour, and was ordered to pay £100 costs to one victim and a £100 contribution towards other costs.