Man threatened partner with knife after drinking

A MAN armed with a knife threatened his partner after returning home from an afternoon drinking.

Adam Edwards grabbed the eight-inch-blade knife at the home he shared with his partner Melissa Burns.

He forced the knife into her hand and got her to hold it to his throat and taunted her: ‘Kill me. Go on, ******* kill me’.

The incident, at the address on Hill Top in Bryn, Llanelli, came after the 27-year-old had returned home from an afternoon drinking on May 15.

Prosecuting, AshantiJade Walton told Swansea Crown Court Ms Burns had contacted Edwards to ask him where he was, and received a reply by text to say “I’m celebrating”, which she understood to be a response to her telling him earlier in the week she was planning to move out of the property.

Ms Burns had begun packing bags when Edwards returned home intoxicated around 9pm, and took a hot tray from the oven and “jokingly” went to burn her with it.

The court was told Edwards then came behind her and put her hand on a knife and held it to his throat, and after challenging her to “kill him”, he added “wait five ******* minutes, you are ******* dead”.

Edwards later threw the knife aside and asked Ms Burns where he was supposed to go as it was lockdown, and repeatedly swore at her.

Edwards went upstairs in the property and began pulling clothes out of cupboards, during which time Ms Burns messaged her family and told them to call police.

When officers arrived and told him he was under arrest, he replied “yeah, sound”.

The court was told Edwards had three convictions for five offences, including a public order offence against a doorman who had ejected him from a premises, and possession of a Class B drug, and a caution for assaulting a constable.

Mitigating, James McKenna described the incident as “ugly”, and said it had been captured on footage filmed by the victim, but added Edwards had “shown a level of understanding where other defendants before the court can’t”.

He said Edwards had been on furlough from his job and added: “He does not seek to minimise his behaviour.

“He is appalled by his actions.”

Edwards had pleaded guilty to an offence of affray.

Sentencing, Judge Geraint Walters told Edwards: “This offence was a disgraceful piece of conduct. You made an observation, where were you going to go, it being the middle of lockdown. But you had been out drinking somewhere and that was the middle of lockdown.”

Edwards, now of Harddfan, in Bryn, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to pay a surcharge of £128.