Powys man said he would stab victim in voice notes

Jac Jones, 29, was last week fined and ordered to carry out a community order for sending multiple menacing messages threatening Brian Jones.

Jac Jones, of Trawscoed, Llandrinio, admitted one charge of sending offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing messages by public communication when he appeared at Welshpool Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, May 21.

The court heard Brian Jones contacted the defendant on Facebook on February 29 – the same day the victim’s younger brother, Kenneth Jones, was jailed for 27 months at Mold Crown Court for a single punch on Jamie Selvey in Newtown in June last year that left Mr Selvey with a “catastrophic brain injury”.

Mr Selvey has been in a coma ever since and is not expected to wake up.

READ MORE: Powys man jailed for leaving Newtown dad in permanent coma

Brian Jones contacted the defendant – a friend of Mr Selvey’s – over alleged threats he had made to his family.

“In February, Brian Jones was made aware through a friend that the defendant had been making threats towards his parents,” said prosecutor Helen Tench.

“He searched his name on February 29 on Facebook and recognised his profile picture. They are known to each other through mutual friends.

“He (Brian Jones) initiated a conversation (to Jac Jones) and messaged him saying ‘Oi, it was my brother that put your mate in a coma. Instead of messaging my family, message me’.

Jamie Selvey (Image: Powys County Times)

“The defendant replied, calling him a ‘little wetwipe’. The victim asked him to come and meet him, to which the defendant replied ‘Literally gonna stab you in the throat. No joke’.

“The victim didn’t believe the threat to be real and he was not intimidated.”

Mrs Tench said Brian Jones received another message on March 11, as well as seven voice notes, making further threats to the victim’s family.

“The defendant was arrested on April 15 and admitted sending the messages and voicenotes,” added Mrs Tench.

“He said he did it as in the last seven months he’d been getting grief off people from different Facebook accounts. He told police ‘I wanted him to feel how I felt’.”

Owain Jones, acting for defendant Jac Jones, said: “My client gave evidence at a crown court trial regarding Jamie Selvey."

He added that his client’s actions were as a result of comments and threats he received from people on social media, which started just three hours after he gave evidence in the trial.

“Brian Jones starts communicating with my client. He targeted him and said horrible things, which has clearly wound him up,” said Mr Jones.

“He’s responding to something he shouldn’t have to respond to. Added to this fact is his friend, who is in a terrible state.

“It’s terrible conduct from everybody but he wouldn’t behave in this way if it wasn’t for the fact he’d been contacted.”

Probation officer Harriet Beer-Doblon interviewed the defendant and said: “If he hadn’t received any messages he wouldn’t have reacted to anything online at all.

“This has been going on since January and has had a significant impact on his mental health. He has been diagnosed recently with borderline personality disorder.”

Magistrates handed Jac Jones a 12-month community order, with a requirement to complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He was also fined £80 and told to pay £85 costs and a £52 surcharge. Magistrates ordered no compensation as they feared it may exacerbate the situation.