A teenager armed with a kitchen knife threatened to "shank" and "cut up" an RAF veteran after they bumped into each other outside a shop. The victim said the confrontation left him "greatly affected".
Ashton Evans, 18, brandished the weapon at Andrew Doody in Crosskeys, Caerphilly, on May 21 as they came face to face outside the Premier Store. There had been previous "incidents" between the two men, the latest of which had taken place weeks before, the court heard.
A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Friday heard Evans reached into his waistband and took out the kitchen knife, telling Mr Doody "Stand back or I'm going to shank you bro". He pointed it at the victim, who estimated the blade to be around six inches in length.
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The defendant continued shouting and said: "I'll wet you up fam, I'll cut you up fam." Mr Doody said he was scared for the safety of him and his partner, who was also present, and saw children nearby who would have witnessed the incident.
Evans, of North Road, Pontywaun, put the knife back in a sheath and walked in the direction of Crosskeys College with a girl. The victim called the police and the defendant was arrested at his home address, which was searched but no knife was found. He later pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article and common assault. The court heard he had previous convictions for possession of a blade and section 20 grievous bodily harm.
In a victim personal statement read out to the court, Mr Doody, 43, said he had served in the RAF in the Falklands and Northern Ireland, experiences which had "affected him deeply" and he suffered from PTSD. He added: "I worked hard to get my life back on track after this but this incident has greatly affected me and made a massive impact on the recovery process. I have struggled with sleepless nights for fear of the safety of me and my family. I felt I could protect myself and my family but this incident has made me question that. If I see a knife I recall Ashton pointing a knife at me, they were the actions of a coward who could not look me in the eye."
In mitigation, defence barrister Richard Ace said his client had "problems with thought process" and believed he needed to carry a knife for "protection". He said the defendant has a "good education" and a future ahead of him.
Recorder Bruce Gardiner sentenced Evans to 10 months detention in a young offenders' institute. He also made him subject to a restraining order preventing him from contacting Mr Doody for three years.
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