A Wrexham man has been jailed after a court heard how he threatened a pub landlord with a claw hammer in a drunken, late-night incident.

Mold Crown Court was told that to make matters worse defendant Kyle David Northall, 24, was already on suspended prison sentence.

Judge Rhys Rowlands told Northall, of Plas Isa, Wrexham, that there was “a real risk” of serious disorder taking place that night.

Northall was jailed for 36 weeks after he admitted threatening behaviour and possessing the hammer as an offensive weapon.

Prosecuting barrister Jo Maxwell said Northall was subject to a restraining order not to approach his former partner Jennifer Perkins.

The landlord of their local, The Jolly Masons in Rhosymedre, Wrexham, was aware of the order and the background.

There was an arrangement that if one of them was already in the pub then the one who arrived second would be asked to leave.

On Sunday, December 10 last year, Miss Perkins was in the pub with friends, including her new boyfriend, when Northall arrived at about 11pm.

He was asked to leave, was unhappy with that and started swearing and was angry.

The defendant returned ten minutes later but was challenged by some of her friends by the door and again asked to leave. He did so.

But ten minutes later the landlord Mike Woodall heard shouting and screaming coming from outside and when he opened the door he found the defendant standing very close to him brandishing a claw hammer.

He raised the hammer and was shouting and Mr Woodall, fearing he might be struck, closed the door.

When he later opened it he found that the defendant had moved away some two feet and was still shouting and swearing.

He was asked what he was going to do with the hammer and he replied: “I am going to do you.”

When challenged, he moved across the road still shouting and swearing and made threats towards the male who was in the pub with Miss Perkins, saying he would “knock his teeth out.”

He eventually left and police seized CCTV footage which should him brandishing the claw hammer at the door.

Miss Maxwell said a 70-day suspended prison sentence was imposed in July of last year for an incident in which Miss Perkins was a complainant.

Northall initially pleaded not guilty to the present offences but changed his pleas to guilty on the day of his trial in the magistrates court in Wrexham, and was committed to the crown court for sentence.

Laura Preston-Hayes, defending, claimed her client had not intended to enter the pub.

He remained outside and when confronted he left – and realised he should not have returned to the premises with a weapon.

Northall was an intelligent man who left school with eight GCSE passes, had a bricklaying qualification and a previous employer had work available for him.

He had not been to prison before and was terrified at the prospect, he had shown genuine remorse and she stressed there had been no further incident or complaint since December.

The defendant was working with the probation officer under his current order and was deriving benefit from it. That would all be thrown away if he was sentenced to custody, she said.

But Judge Rhys Rowlands asked what he was doing at the door of the pub with the hammer unless he was hoping to get in?

He said he was annoyed that he could not get into the pub because she was there.

It was so serious that only immediate custody could be justified, he said.

Last summer he received a suspended sentence for assaulting Miss Perkins, criminal damage and resisting police.

He was now in breach of that suspended sentence after he returned to the public house for a third time armed with a claw hammer, said Judge Rowlands.

Northall was in close proximity of the landlord who feared he was about to be struck.

The defendant was drunk and had armed himself with a dangerous weapon.

“This incident was immediately outside the public house late at night when you threatened the licensee who was doing no more than was expected to keep good order at the premises.

“You lost your temper because your former partner was drinking at the pub and you were unable to do so,” he said.

“It was protracted bad behaviour on your part.”

Northall was determined to have his own way that night.

“These offences occurred just outside licensed premises late at night when you were in drink.

“In my judgement there was a real risk of serious public disorder taking place,” Judge Rowlands warned.