A bet between two friends over whether the Earth is round or flat ended with one being charged with threatening to kill the other with a crossbow.

Louie Franz and Jamie Mathew Sutherland were having dinner in the New Zealand town of Queenstown and arguing about the planet’s true shape when they made a $10,000 NZD (£5,000) wager about who was right.

Mr Franz – a believer in the widely discredited flat Earth conspiracy theory – said they shook hands on the bet about whether the world was flat before Mr Sutherland – a believer in science – immediately demanded payment.

The dispute was eventually argued out in court after Mr Sutherland was charged by police for threatening to shoot his friend and his friend’s father at a petrol station, according to the Otago Daily Times.

The flat Earth believer told the Queenstown District Court judge: “[He said] ‘If you don’t pay it I’ll get a crossbow, I’ll shoot you and your father, put you in the trunk and they’ll never see you again’.”

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The strange case began two months prior to the alleged threat made in February. After arguing about the Earth, Mr Franz told his friend: “I will bet you $10,000 [NZD] it’s flat.”

“Mr Sutherland quickly jumped on that bet – we shook hands and then he said, ‘You owe me $10,000’.”

Mr Franz told judge Bernadette Farnan: “It was kind of a joke for me – it was more of a ‘I bet you $10,000 because I’m so sure I’m right’.”

When the pair met again at a petrol station on 14 February, Mr Sutherland again demanded money, and was in no mood to joke about it.

“When someone threatens to kill you with a crossbow it’s quite concerning,” said Mr Franz.

Mr Sutherland’s defence lawyer reportedly said Mr Lanz had been “adamant” in his belief the Earth was flat, but later changed his mind on the issue.

Judge Farnan – following a brief “restorative justice” meeting in which the men agreed to end their dispute – decided there was no case to answer and dismissed the charge.