Man jailed for 28 weeks for offending spree

A MAN headbutted and smashed the rear window of a police van while a dog was inside the vehicle, a court has heard.

Bradley Meredith went on to make homophobic comments about a neighbour who had gone outside to see what was happening.

The incident was the culmination of a spree of offending which had seen the defendant making threats to stab people, threatening and confronting police officers, making false crime reports and causing criminal damage, and was committed while he was subject to no less than four separate suspended sentences and court orders.

The 21-year-old read out a letter to the judge in which he said he was ashamed and disgusted at how he had been behaving in recent months and said it was not the way he had been brought up.

Swansea Crown Court heard that on September 7 this year the defendant rang 999 and told the call handler he had a blade and was going to stab people. He also said if officers were sent to deal with him they would end up “in pieces”.

Dean Pulling, prosecuting, said five police officers were dispatched to Meredith’s home in St Clears and the defendant was initially compliant. However, his mood suddenly changed and he headbutted the rear window of a police vehicle, which had a dog inside, with such force that he smashed the glass.

Meredith was arrested and then began making “homophobic slurs” towards another resident of the Swan Hotel premises who had come to see what was going on. The defendant was put in the back of a police van but began headbutting the custody cage and making threats and had to be restrained.

This incident put Meredith in breach of previously-imposed crown and magistrates’ court sentences as well as a community order and a conditional discharge. These sentences had been imposed over the preceding months for a string of offences including calling police and saying he was going to kill someone, calling 999 and making false reports of someone armed with a knife at the hotel, making threats of violence against the police, confronting armed police with a broken pint glass, and punching a hole in the wall of his flat following a drunken disturbance.

Chester-born Meredith, of Pentre Road, St Clears, admitted criminal damage and a public order offence.

The defendant read out a letter he had written to the court in which he apologised for his “stupid, childlike behaviour” and apologised to his neighbour for the “truly hurtful” comments he had made. He said he was disgusted at his yobbish behaviour over the months and said he knew that was not the way he had been brought up by his parents.

Meredith said he knew he deserved custody and had “run out of chances” from the courts and said he wanted to be the “kind and considerate” person he knew he could be.

Barrister Tom Scapens, for Meredith, said the defendant’s behaviour had been “part cry for help rather than wanton offending” and said the offending was linked to alcohol and his mental health.

Judge Catherine Richards said she accepted Meredith’s apologies and remorse were genuine and there was no doubt he needed help to tackle the issues in his life.

However, she said the only option open to the court given the repeated breaches of previous court orders and sentences was immediate custody.

Meredith was sentenced to a total of 28 weeks in prison. He will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.