A POWYS man captured on CCTV banging on a neighbour’s door while drunk and calmly holding a knife in what was described as a “chilling” incident, has escaped a jail sentence.

Sean Gethings, 52, was handed a six-month suspended prison sentence at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court today (September 26).

The incident occurred on May 4 this year at a block of flats in Crickhowell where both Gethings and the witness lived at the time.

The incident started at around 11pm on May 3 when a female neighbour of Gething’s heard noises outside her door.

“At around 11pm she was inside her flat, she described hearing someone outside,” said prosecutor Emily Jermin.

OTHER NEWS:

“She heard banging on the door. She was in bed and started recording.

“She could hear the defendant shouting ‘shut up’ and that he’d ‘had enough’. She phoned the police, who arrived and spoke to the defendant, then they left. As soon as they left he was back outside her door and continuing his behaviour.

“She was terrified. She rang the police again. She viewed CCTV and could see the defendant outside her door holding a knife.

“Police attended again at around 12.30am and told him to leave. She showed officers the footage and they arrested him.

“His address was searched and the knife in the footage was seized.”

Ms Jermin said Gethings gave a no comment interview. She said he had five convictions for five previous offences, including assault, but that he was last in court in 2006.  

Gethings, of Bridge Street, Llanfaes, Brecon, had pleaded guilty to possessing a knife in a public place at Merthyr Magistrates’ Court in August. The weapon was said to have been a lock knife.

County Times:

Representing Gethings, Hilary Roberts said: “There can be no justification for carrying the knife or any satisfactory explanation. He regrets it. He can’t really provide an explanation why he took it with him.

“He was going out, it was on the table and he took it, which is not good enough. It was aggravated by the fact he’d had a drink at the time."

He added: “This has been a wake-up call for him, he had hoped this behaviour was behind him. He knows that immediate custody is a very real prospect.”

Mr Roberts said his client possessed a good work ethic and that even though he was off work at the moment he is hoping to start a new job within the next week.

Judge Shomon Khan said: “Even though he doesn’t wave it (the knife) around, there’s something a bit chilling about it.

“You’ve got to recognise how serious someone having a bladed article in a public place can be, it can do so much damage.

County Times:

“It would have been extremely concerning for your neighbour to have seen that footage of you calmly having this knife behind your back. Only you knew what was going through your head.

“None of us knows what would have happened had she opened the door. Mercifully, she didn’t. Those that carry knives should expect to go to prison.”

Judge Khan jailed Gethings for six months, but suspended the term for 12 months.

As part of the suspended sentence order, Gethings will have to wear an alcohol abstinence monitoring tag for 120 days and must also complete 15 rehabilitation activity days.

The knife was ordered to be destroyed and Gethings will also pay £420 costs and a £154 surcharge.