Think you’ve had some bad online dating experiences? A Bristol man probably has you beat.
A self-identified “bi-curious” man lured him to a parking lot in the early hours of June 4 and then approaching his car, removing an air pistol from his sock.
Related: Hillary Clinton Sends Message Of Support To Trans Woman Accosted On NYC Subway
Gavin Roderick, 26, has been sentenced to three years in jail after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. He used the dating website FabSwingers to arrange the meeting, Bristol Post reports.
The victim’s attorney said his client feared for his life. He is said to have ducked down in his seat, accelerating onto the road without looking, until he reached the M4 motorway where he flagged down a police officer.
When police arrived at Roderick’s home they found the air pistol. Roderick, who told law enforcement he was bi-curious, at first denied any involvement in the incident and told them the firearm was his brother’s, left behind when he moved out.
“If I wanted to hurt the victim I would have stabbed him not shot him,” Roderick told police. He has five previous convictions for 11 offenses, including two for possessing knives in a public place.
Related: Gay Man Stabbed On A New York Subway In Suspected Hate Crime
Roderick’s attorney, Andrew Evans, said his client’s behavior was difficult to interpret and that “it may well be that he has desires and interests that he is struggling to come to terms with.”
The judge said Roderick “turned his inner-conflict outwards” and that he considered what he did to be a hate crime.
A recent study of college students found that men with strong antigay feelings have an impulsive attraction toward homosexual imagery, backing up a previous study that came to a similar conclusion.
Stache
I’m more shocked that the guy in the mug shot is only 26.
Brian
When meeting sexy, dangerous men, best to do it somewhere where there are people. That way, you have witnesses.