Armed pair discovered after mob tried to force way into property
A MAN embarked on a crime spree which saw him join an armed mob attacking a house and then leading police on a 100mph chase before threatening his dad with a kitchen knife, a court has heard.
Swansea Crown Court heard the catalogue of offending started on the evening of February 9.
Dean Pulling, prosecuting, said police were called to Cwmgwrach near Glynneath following reports that a group of five “tooled-up” men were trying to force entry to a house in the village, and were “goading” the occupants. By the time the officers arrived the group had dispersed but police found Brandon Weaver, 21, and his cousin Daniel Stanley walking through Glynneath.
The court heard officers searched the pair and found Weaver had a claw hammer and a quantity of cannabis, while 33-yearold Stanley had a wooden rolling pin. The pair were taken to Swansea Central police station where they were questioned about the incident, charged, and then released on bail.
Weaver came to the attention of police again in the early hours of February 26 when an officer saw a VW Golf being driven through the village of Cadoxton.
Mr Pulling said the Golf had failed to stop for police the previous evening, and when the traffic officer saw it he signalled for it to pull over. But rather then stopping, the Golf – with Weaver at the wheel – sped off to Aberdulais and up the Neath Valley. There followed a 15-mile pursuit as the defendant raced along the B4242 at speeds touching 95mph, taking a number of bends on the wrong
side of the road. In Glynneath, he raced around the narrow streets of a housing estate before joining the A465 heading for Hirwaun.
The court heard he reached speeds of 103mph on the dual carriageway including through a section
of roadworks – before the pursuit came to an end at the Hirwaun roundabout when the left nearside wheel of the VW came off, and police units were able to box it in and drag Weaver from the vehicle.
The defendant was arrested, questioned, and
bailed. On April 29, he turned up at his parents’ house in Glynneath at 4.30am in breach of a restraining order claiming to be injured in order to gain sympathy and entry once inside he attacked his father and at one stage grabbed a kitchen knife and threatened to stab his dad, forcing his victim to seek refuge in the bathroom. Police were called and an “aggressive” Weaver was arrested.
Brandon Weaver, of Maes y Dre, Glynneath, had previously pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon, possession of cannabis, dangerous driving, failing to stop for an officer, driving without insurance or licence, affray, and breaching a restraining order when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. Stanley, also of Maes y Dre, Glynneath, had previously pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon.
Weaver has previous convictions for driving with excess alcohol and criminal damage, and Stanley for a previous conviction and a caution for criminal damage.
John Allchurch, for Weaver, said in recent years the defendant’s life had been “out of control”.
He said a pre-sentence report had described the defendant as an “immature” 21-year-old, and had identified a number of problems including homelessness, mental health issues, a chaotic lifestyle, and the abuse of cocaine, alcohol, Valium and cannabis.
Stuart John, for Stanley, said his client had little or no recollection of the incident in Cwmgwrach due to his intoxication.
Judge Huw Rees sentenced Weaver to a total of 20 months in prison, and Stanley to four months. Judge Rees also activated one month of Stanley’s previously imposed suspended sentence, to run consecutively, making an overall sentence in his case of five months.
The defendants will serve up to half their sentences in custody before being released on licence. Weaver was also disqualified from driving for of 34 months.