If there ’s one stakes you do n’t desire to take , it ’s that the Earth , our famously round home , is really form like some variety of hilly pancake . Not just because you ’ll lose , but , ostensibly , because you could terminate up getting imperil with a gothic intermediate - range ballistic weapon .

Louie Lanz and Jamie Mathew Sutherland were having dinner earlier this year in Queenstown , New Zealand , when the conversation turned ( as it does with most flat - Earthers , to be honest ) to the subject area of whether the Earth is compressed . Lanz at some spot bet his friend $ 10,000 that the Earthisin fact shaped like a function despite all the evidence to the reverse , the Otago Daily Times report .

His booster accepted the bet , and instantly demanded defrayal .

So far , so funny . Someone made a antic wager that the Earth was flat and both parties express mirth it off , except no that ’s not how thing play out . This is when things started to escalate . harmonise to reports made to the Queenstown District Court on Tuesday , Sutherland then began making threats over several encounters at a gas station ,   demand defrayment of $ 10,000 for what Lanz had conceive was a joke bet .

The twain bumped into each other again on February 14 , and this   fourth dimension , Sutherland was not kidding around , Lanz assure the court .

'' If you do n’t yield it I ’ll get a crossbow . I ’ll scud you and   your father , put you in the proboscis and they ’ll never see you again , " Sutherland reportedly pronounce at the gas place on Valentine ’s Day to Lanz ,   with whom he ’d been friends since elemental shoal .

Lanz told the court that in retrospect he did n’t think that Sutherland had any intent of watch through on his medieval terror , but at the time was incertain and so told his male parent .

" When someone jeopardise to kill you with a crossbow it ’s quite concerning . "

Lanz and his father postulate   for the example to not go   any further in the royal court , believe Sutherland had see his example , and the   flush was dismissed by the justice . Sutherland has excuse to Lanz , the Otago Daily Times describe , and has accepted he will not be receiving any payment for the $ 10,000 stakes even though he won it , asthe Earth is undeniably orotund .