The dad became “angry and irate” after his bets kept losing
Hawest Karimpoori, of Kensington, aged 31(Image: Merseyside Police)
A barber became “irate” and threatened to burn down a Betfred shop after his bets kept losing. Hawest Karimpoori hurled a chair, set fire to a newspaper and began ripping up the carpet during his ill-fated trip to the bookies.
This led to a terrified worker activating his panic button as the angry customer “smashed the shop up”. The dad now says he is “sorry for what he has done”, with his drunken actions having left him behind bars and banned from Betfred for several years.
Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Tuesday, that Karimpoori attended the bookmakers on Dale Street in Liverpool city centre on April 23 this year and placed a series of £10 bets. However, the 31-year-old, of Kensington, became “angry and irate” after these wagers “kept losing”.
Hannah Darling, prosecuting, described how member of staff James Kearns then approached the defendant in order to “ask if he was OK”. Karimpoori however kept lodging further £10 bets, which similarly continued to lose.
This led to him “punching a gambling machine out of anger” before “threatening to smash up the premises and burn it down”. Mr Kearns was caused to push the panic button as a result before the furious customer began ripping up the carpet and threw a chair at a gaming machine.
Karimpoori then lit a newspaper on fire and attempted to throw it behind the counter, although the flaming item instead dropped to the ground and caused damage to the flooring. He was subsequently arrested on July 1 after being identified via CCTV footage.
His criminal record shows 10 previous convictions for 20 offences, including battery and criminal damage in 2021 and receiving a 12-month community order for possession of cannabis in December 2024. Paul Becker, defending, told the court: “He is sorry for what he has done. He was clearly affected by alcohol at the time. It is no excuse for his actions.
“The defendant was born and schooled in Iran. He left Iran when he was 16 following the tragic murder of his father. That has clearly had a very significant effect on himself. He moved to the United Kingdom that year and to Liverpool in 2021.
“The defendant’s mother has passed away. He was previously married. He has a son in Iran and another child in the UK. He has issues with cannabis, which he needs to take to manage the chronic back pain that he has.”
Karimpoori, who was assisted by an interpreter during the hearing, admitted assault, criminal damage and threatening to damage or destroy property. Appearing in the dock wearing a blue Under Armour tracksuit top, he was jailed for 18 months.
Sentencing, Judge Denis Watson KC said: “You were using gambling machines and losing money, and you became angry. When a Betfred employee tried to calm you down, you threatened him. Not only that, you began to smash the betting shop up.
“What was particularly terrifying was that you threatened to burn down the shop, and you then took out a newspaper and set fire to it. You tried to set fire to behind the counter. I am told that you caused burns to the carpet.
“The effect on Mr Kearns, who was at work that day, has been substantial. He was a vulnerable individual, a public sector worker. You were under the influence of alcohol. You have previous convictions for criminal damage and using threatening behaviour.
“I have read the matters in your background. Unfortunately, the offences are so serious that only immediate imprisonment is appropriate as punishment. You have a history of failing to comply with community orders. You were on a community order at the time.”
Karimpoori was also handed a restraining order. This will ban him from contacting Mr Kearns or entering the branch of Betfred in question for the next seven years.