An axe-wielding man breached a criminal behaviour order for the fourth time when he used the weapon to smash his neighbour’s front door.

Mark Kerfoot Roberts, 50, of Prince of Wales Avenue, Flint, repeatedly hammered at his neighbour, Peter Foster’s, door on Tuesday night, causing the external glass to shatter.

Roberts and Mr Foster have been neighbours for about four years and though Mr Foster thought Roberts to be a strange character, it was the first time he had done any damage to his house.

Darcy Mossman, 18, had been walking along a footpath between Cae Hir and Prince of Wales Avenue with a friend at about 7.30pm.

The pair heard shouting and saw Roberts outside
Mr Foster’s home.

He did not say anything to them but they saw he was holding an axe and ran away, hearing three loud bangs as Roberts hit the door with the weapon.

Mr Foster had been inside at the time. He was in his living room when he heard a loud bang at the door.

There were three more bangs and as he looked outside, he could see Roberts laughing because the security light had activated.

Appearing before Wrexham Magistrates’ Court, Roberts pleaded guilty to possessing an axe in a public place and criminal damage.

He also admitted being in breach of a criminal behaviour order.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Foster said he felt intimidated by Roberts and would cross the street to avoid him if he saw him.

Since the incident,
he has contacted his landlord about moving because he does not feel safe with Roberts next door.

Rhian Jackson, prosecuting, said police attended the scene and spoke to Roberts, who smelled strongly of alcohol, was slurring his words and had glazed eyes.

The axe was found in the toilet of Roberts’ property.

In interview, he told officers he had been asleep and was woken by a noise coming from Mr Foster’s home.

He thought the property was being burgled so he grabbed the axe and went round to ensure it was not being broken into.

Roberts used the axe to smash the glass and then returned to his own home. He did not see anyone else.

Ms Jackson said it was the fourth time Roberts had breached the criminal behaviour order.

Gary Harvey, defending, said Roberts was autistic and had genuinely believed Mr Foster’s property was being burgled.

“He sees things very much in black and white and if he believes something is happening, that will be it for him.

“He is remorseful and he knows the right thing to do would have been to call the police. He knows it is not appropriate to behave in this way.”

Chairman of magistrates, John Pereira, said the offences clearly passed the custody threshold.

And he felt magistrates’ sentencing powers were not sufficient to deal with the matter.

Mr Pereira said: “You were wielding an axe in a public place and not only your neighbour but other passers-by were intimidated and threatened by your actions.

“You were irrational and threatening.”

He sent the case to Mold Crown Court for sentencing on December 7 and asked for a pre-sentence report to be compiled, with all options open.