Holidaymaker in knife shame

A HOLIDAYMAKER who was beaten up by three men went to a caravan and then traumatised a fisherman who he mistook for one of his attackers.

Dale Grimes, 24, from Salford, later said he was so drunk that he could not remember the early morning incident at the sea edge in North Wales.

But his victim, who was out fishing, was threatened with a knife and backed out into the sea as he tried to escape.

He even considered swimming out to sea, Mold Crown Court was told. But he bravely tried to talk Grimes around, and was able to warn others – including a group of women and a dog walker – to keep away. Grimes, of Burton Walk in Salford, admitted affray, making a threat to kill and possessing a knife and received a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

He was ordered to pay his victim £1,000 compensation and he was ordered to carry out 200 hours’ unpaid work. He was also placed on rehabilitation.

Judge Niclas Parry made a fiveyear restraining order that he was not to enter the Whitehouse Leisure Park at Towyn and said that it was important that the victim could again enjoy his holiday and sea fishing.

Judge Parry said that on August 26 the defendant had terrified a hard-working family man who was doing nothing more than pursuing the peaceful pastime of sea fishing.

In the early hours was confronted by the defendant, a complete stranger, running towards him and threatening to kill him. The defendant was covered in blood and was ‘brandishing a knife in a stabbing motion.’ Such was his fear that he walked into the sea up to his knees and even considered swimming away.

Following the incident Grimes had been arrested by armed police but he was threatening towards officers and made racist comments, it was heard.

“You were clearly out of control,” the judge told Grimes.

Interviewed, he said that he had been attacked by three men after he had been drinking ten pints and some shots. He had no memory of what happened at the sea edge.

Defending barrister Richard Edwards said that his client was at a loss to explain what had happened.

Grimes was genuinely sorry for what he had done, in clearly a case of mistaken identity, the court was told.