Dad found guilty of assault on RSPCA inspector

MURROW man Brian Ketteringham has been found guilty of assaulting an RSPCA inspector who arrived at his home to serve a summons on his daughter. Ketteringham claimed that he used only reasonable force to throw Insp Jon Knight out of his Murrow home. But o

MURROW man Brian Ketteringham has been found guilty of assaulting an RSPCA inspector who arrived at his home to serve a summons on his daughter.

Ketteringham claimed that he used only reasonable force to throw Insp Jon Knight out of his Murrow home.

But on Wednesday Fenland magistrates decided that Ketteringham had gone too far, and convicted him.

Insp Knight was serving the summons in relation to a horse belonging to Anne Marie Ketteringham, that had been in RSPCA care before being put down, the court was told.

The inspector said Ketteringham "lost his rag," when told about the summons.

"He grabbed me forcibly under my arms and lifted me from the floor and slammed me into the closed front door," he said.

As he went to hand over the summons to Miss Ketteringham, "Her father spun me round, and grabbed me under the arms from behind. I was lifted and thrown with some force out of the front door and into the side of a Transit van."

From the witness box, 50-year-old Ketteringham said: "That man was no longer welcome in my house and had to leave. I did not want a summons served on my daughter in my house.

"I have a legal right not to have him in my property. He had no legal power over me in my home.

Mr Ketteringham said Insp Knight did not leave when asked to do so.

"I grabbed him and took him to the door, as is my right," he said. "He did hit the wall with his shoulder.

"I grabbed him by the shoulder to spin him round and pushed him out of the door."

Ketteringham, who claims incapacity benefit, added: "There is no way I could have lifted him off the ground. I did not propel him by force."

The court gave Ketteringham a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £150 compensation and £150 costs.