Man jailed over machete threat on day of Justin Bieber concert
AMAN threatened a taxi driver with a machete after an argument about parking on the day Justin Bieber played in Cardiff, a court heard.
Shaun Murray, 27, who travelled from Newcastle upon Tyne with his brother for the concert at the Principality Stadium, also admitted directing racist language towards the victim.
The court heard the incident occurred on Saunders Road around 3pm on June 30.
Ian Kolvin, prosecuting, said Murray drove to the concert with his brother, Edward Graham, and parked in an area reserved for taxis.
When he returned to his car, he found he had been “boxed in”.
Prosecutors said a taxi driver asked him to move his vehicle and his behaviour became “extremely aggressive”.
The court heard Murray called the taxi driver a “motherf **** r” and told him: “F ***** g move your car.
Mr Kolvin said other taxi drivers tried to reason with him, but he continued to be abusive. The defendant then told the victim: “You shouldn’t be in this country. F ***** g go back to your own country.”
Prosecutors said he told the cabbie he had a knife, went back to his car and tried to drive off, but was stopped by the other drivers and door staff from a nearby premises.
Mr Kolvin told the court: “He was seen to have a machete.”
He added: “In the course of his behaviour, he also made comments demonstrating religious hostility.”
The court heard Murray said: “Muslims are baby killers. They carry nail bombs. They shouldn’t be in this country.”
Murray then told the taxi driver: “If you don’t move your car, I’m going to chop you guys.”
Prosecutors said door staff managed to detain the defendant until police arrived. He was arrested and the machete was seized from his car.
Prosecutors said he had been before the courts for 41 previous offences, including possessing weapons, as well as battery, burglary and theft.
Murray, from Brandon Grove in Newcastle upon Tyne, admitted possessing a blade in a public place and racially aggravated threatening behaviour. He denied one count of affray, which will lie on file.
Kevin Seal, defending, said his client had shown remorse through his guilty plea. He said: “He accepts he used racial comments against those who were there and he regrets those.
“He is not a person who considers himself to be racist.”
Prosecutors offered no evidence against his 19-year-old brother Edward Graham, who denied affray and the public order offence.
Judge Jeremy Jenkins told the defendant: “Mr Seal says you are not inherently racist. I reject that. Those words are deeply offensive.”
Muray was jailed for 10 months and an order was made for the machete to be destroyed.