Brunel University London

Brunel University fresher terrifies students dressed as a clown with a chainsaw

• Report rights infringement
• published: 11 Oct 2016
• views: 3112

An 18-year-old man has become the first Briton to be fined over the so-called 'killer clown' prank craze. Connor Jones terrified pupils when he loitered outside St Cenydd Comprehensive School in Caerphilly, South Wales, dressed as a clown with a snarling mask and green wig. He was arrested for breaching public order at the school and ordered to pay £90. It is believed to be the first fine handed out in connection to a 'killer clown' stunt. Police also announced that another man, Kenny Ojuederie, 19, has been arrested after waving around a chainsaw while filming a YouTube video at his university. Ojuederie, also known as Kenny Parker, a fresher at Brunel University, west London, wore a mask, red wig and clown suit for the stunt. The 19-year-old was filmed charging towards his friends with the chainsaw as they fled in apparent horror. A police spokesman said: 'Police in Uxbridge investigating a series of public order offences at Brunel University on Kingston Lane have made an arrest. 'It was reported that between 7.30pm on Saturday and 1.30am on Sunday, a man dressed in a clown costume had deliberately frightened a number of people. 'The incident was reported to police on Tuesday. On the same day, a 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence. 'He is currently in custody at a west London police station.' Ojuederie had apologised for the prank and and said he feared his university career was ruined. He said: 'I'm really nervous. I don't know what is going to happen. It's such a mess. 'First of all I want to say a massive sorry to anyone I have scared. Secondly, this was a YouTube video. 'All those people in the video: they were my friends. It was a pre-planned thing, and none of the people who I chased were strangers.' Ojuederie said he uses a chainsaw in videos for the 'shock factor'. The student has 1,500 followers on YouTube. He said he made the clown video in order to 'follow the trend'. He added: 'From the video, it completely makes me look like a madman. I can understand why people are scared by that video. 'After it happened, I took my mask off and told people that I was just making a short film and showed them I'm a real person just making a video. 'But the internet has just blown this way out of proportion. It's like,'oh wow, there's a killer clown at Brunel'. People are making me out to be a terrorist.' A university spokesman said: 'The student who was dressed as a clown and carrying a chainsaw was caught on a number of our 400 CCTV cameras and has since identified himself to our campus security team. 'We take such incidents, and our students' safety, extremely seriously and the student will now be passed on to the police.' Meanwhile, Jones was reported to police after standing on a pedestrian crossing as children were leaving school for the day. School staff were so concerned they issued a warning to parents. Police later received reports of a man in a clown costume 'intimidating' schoolchildren. Parent Dai Evans, 34, described how teachers ushered children away after spotting Jones, a former pupil, on Friday. Mr Evans, who was collecting two children, said: 'There is a time and place to have a laugh and a joke - but not outside a school on a Friday afternoon.' After he was unmasked, Jones, a former labourer from Penyrheol, Caerphilly, said: 'I'm not afraid to make enemies. I've paid my £90 and that's it.' He later posted a message mocking the punishment on social media, writing: 'Just had a £90 fine for my clown antics haha'. Chief Inspector Paul Staniforth said: 'Gwent Police will not tolerate such behaviour and anyone seeking to cause distress and potential harm to anyone will be dealt with. 'In this case, not only is this man out of pocket, he will now have a criminal record which will impact his future, including any job opportunities. 'I hope this result sends a strong message to anyone thinking about taking part in this craze, that their five minutes of what they may think is fun really isn't worth it.' The arrests come as it's revealed groups of vigilantes dubbed 'clown hunters' are recruiting volunteers across Britain to carry out night patrols and hunt down 'killer clowns'. Hundreds of people have taken matters into their own hands and launched themselves on Facebook as The Clown Hunters. Patrols have already taken place in a number of towns where clown sightings have been recorded. Their Facebook page declares: 'We are a group of normal guys who have a mission to STOP these idiots dressed as clowns scaring people.' They are asking anyone who spots a clown to make a citizens' arrest and call the police.