5 days ago
Knifeman threatened to cut off victim's face after pub car park row
A knifeman threatened to cut a man's face off in a North Wales pub. Martin Pritchard targeted his victim after an incident in a car park involving Pritchard's sister.
A judge today jailed Pritchard, 43, of Scott Close, Marchwiel, for 16 months for threatening a person with a knife in a public place. Caernarfon Crown Court heard the offence took place at The Black Lion Inn in Bersham, Wrexham on July 13 last year.
Prosecutor Ryan Rothwell said the complainant Mark Robertson heard a commotion outside the Black Lion Inn at 8pm. He saw a Ford Kuga - with the driver who appeared to be intoxicated - and a stationary Range Rover in the car park. You can sign up for all the latest court stories here
The keys were taken off the Kuga's female driver. Twenty minutes later the defendant Pritchard came into the pub and demanded the keys back, the court heard.
The Kuga driver was Pritchard's sister. Mr Robertson asked Pritchard to leave but Pritchard initially refused.
As he eventually left, Pritchard took out a knife and told Mr Robertson: "If you speak to me like that (again) I'll cut your f****** face off." He also said he would "slice" him, said the prosecutor Mr Rothwell.
Police were called and officers found a Stanley knife believed to have belonged to Pritchard. Pritchard himself was arrested the following day.
Richard Edwards, defending, said the defendant had been working at a nearby site so that was why he had the knife. He added: "The defendant had been trying to help his sister out when she bumped into another car in the car park.
"That was nothing to do with the defendant but he was trying to resolve (it). He did feel a little aggrieved at the way he perceived the (pub) staff were treating him."
But Mr Edwards accepted that Pritchard "did not deal with the situation properly". The court heard the father-of-three is a self-employed builder with nine full-time staff, 20 part-time staff and four apprentices.
District Judge Gwyn Jones said whether to sent the defendant to jail immediately or not was a finely-balanced exercise. He has family and work responsibilities but the offence happened in a pub with children present and he has a poor record.
Jailing him he said he will probably serve 40 per cent or 50 per cent of the sentence. He also made a restraining order prohibiting him from contacting Mr Robertson and from entering the Black Lion for five years.
