A JUDGE has warned young people they face being locked up if they take knives out on to the street.

Mark Peter Harrison, 24, of Bryn Place, Llay, pleaded guilty at Mold Crown Court to affray and two charges of possessing knives following a domestic incident with his former partner Susan Groves.

He was jailed for 14 months by Judge Niclas Parry yesterday who ordered that both knives be destroyed.

Judge Parry told Harrison: “This was a serious, prolonged incident of public disorder which affected a number of people.”

The judge said Harrison had been controlling and bullying towards his Mrs Groves and he ended up injuring her when she was only trying to help him.

People who tried to defuse the situation were threatened with a knife, the judge said. One witness had feared for her life as he took two knives out onto the street.

“Young people must understand that if they take knives out onto the street, particularly when they are out of control – and you were described as being wild – then they will go into custody,” the judge said.

He said he took into consideration Harrison’s guilty pleas and that, mercifully, the injuries were not serious.

Prosecutor Sandra Subacchi said Mrs Groves had been in a relationship with Harrison for about 18 months although they did not live together.

On October 21 she went to a wedding and at the end of the evening she was collected by her uncle and Harrison.

When they arrived home, he began to question her about who she had been dancing with at the wedding and became extremely agitated. At one stage he held a wine glass in his hand so tight that he broke it, cutting his hand.

She thought he was full of self pity and did not take a lot of notice but that changed as the evening went on.

Mrs Groves went upstairs and he shouted “I don’t mean it” and then punched a hole in a bedroom door.

She decided enough was enough. He had caused damage and there was blood around the property so she asked him to leave.

He said he was going to cut his own wrists, she tried to stop him but he pushed her to the floor. Mrs Groves then ran out of the property.

When police officers arrived, they saw him brandishing at least one knife above his head. An officer got out of the police car and one of the knives was thrown towards the vehicle.

Police tried to reason with him, he was screaming at them that he was going to kill them.

He was dancing around like a boxer with his fists raised and when told to back off he continued to be threatening, lunged at an officer and was struck with a baton.

Another officer used incapacitant spray but the defendant then lunged at him. That officer was able to grab him and eventually he was taken to the floor. During the struggle he continued to shout threats, said Miss Subacchi.

His partner had been left with a cut finger and one of the officers suffered a grazed knee.

Interviewed, he said he had taken alcohol and cocaine and he only had the knives to harm himself.

Andrew Green, defending, said his client appreciated it had to be custody.

He knew his problems lay in the use of alcohol and cocaine. On his release  he wanted to make his family proud of him.