An ‘aggressive’ buffet boss who brandished a meat cleaver at a parking attendant after he was told he could not park his van in a space reserved for a rival restaurant has been spared jail.
Zhe Huang, boss of Dine & Wine in Walsall, West Midlands, threatened the attendant with the weapon as he prepared to give him a ticket for parking his van in a spot used by nearby establishment Kabel’s Steakhouse.
A court heard the 49-year-old felt he was ‘entitled’ to use the space, which lies in between the two food spots, despite being told by the victim that it was reserved for staff and customers at the rival eatery.
Huang then ‘nodded’ and walked into Dine & Wine as the attendant took pictures of the vehicle and noted down the van’s registration.
The ‘angry’ father re-emerged and started shouting in Chinese after being told to move the vehicle before dashing back into his shop to grab the cleaver and wave it in the parking attendant’s face.
Zhe Huang, boss of Dine & Wine (pictured) in Walsall, West Midlands, threatened a parking attendant with a meat cleaver as he prepared to give him a ticket for parking his van in a spot used by nearby establishment Kabel’s Steakhouse
The 49-year-old felt he was ‘entitled’ to use the space, which lies in between the two food spots, despite being told by the victim that it was reserved for staff and customers at the rival eatery
The victim said he feared for his safety as an ‘aggressive and threatening’ Huang brandished the blade before being ushered back into the restaurant by a fellow employee and later arrested.
Now the buffet boss has avoided jail after being sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court, receiving an 18-month sentence, suspended for two years, with 100 hours unpaid work and £425 costs.
Huang admitted threatening another with a bladed article during the court appearance on Thursday.
The shocking incident last October came amid a long-time feud between the two restaurants over the space.
Kabel’s Steakhouse had employed the attendant after ongoing issues with ‘unauthorised use’ of its car park ‘particularly by’ staff of nearby buffet restaurant Dine & Wine.
Huang later claimed in a police interview that he was entitled to use the car park but accepted he was angry and had waved the meat cleaver around.
He went on to say he was sorry and had not appreciated the seriousness of his actions.
The court also heard that Huang’s ‘momentary lapse in judgement’ came during his wife’s ‘stressful’ breast cancer battle.
Suzanne Francis, defending, said ‘committed family man’ Huang came to the UK in 2009 and had built up the restaurant with his wife over the past five years.
She added: ‘Over the last few years, it has been a stressful time as his wife has had breast cancer and she has just completed chemotherapy and they are finally coming out of what has been a very difficult time.
‘He clearly acted in a disgraceful manner. He is not someone who will trouble the courts again.’
Sentencing, Recorder Sunil Khanna said: ‘You threatened a person just doing their job. I accept this was something that was totally out of character for you.
Kabel’s Steakhouse (pictured) had employed the attendant after ongoing issues with ‘unauthorised use’ of its car park ‘particularly by’ staff of nearby buffet restaurant Dine & Wine
‘However, knife crime in this country is at a point where it is almost an epidemic.
‘The courts must be shown to be taking a serious view of those who are in possession of knives or offensive weapons.
‘I do accept that your situation is perhaps slightly different from many cases that these courts often deal with.’