A CHARGE against a Newent man of using a hypodermic syringe to threaten another man was thrown out by a judge today.

Matthew Goodchild, 37, of Lightfoot, Newent, has denied threatening Owen Chandler with a blade or pointed article on a footpath at Newent Lake on November 27 last year.

But on Tuesday his solicitor, Satveer Pnaiser, argued at Gloucester Crown Court that there was no evidence that the hypodermic syringe allegedly held by Goodchild had a needle in it.

She referred Judge Jamie Tabor QC to all the prosecution statements and said no witness had mentioned there being a needle in the syringe.

The Act under which Goodchild had been charged required an alleged weapon to have a blade or point, she said, and the syringe without a needle could not be classed as such.

Judge Jamie Tabor QC told prosecutor Giles Nelson that it looked as if the police officer who took the witness statements about the alleged incident had made a ’grave error.’

He dismissed the charge, but said that did not mean the Crown could re-interview witnesses and establish if it was alleged there was a needle in the syringe.

Goodchild, who is in custody on remand, did not attend the hearing and is awaiting jury trial.