A TEENAGER who chased a man with a knife at a Flintshire HMO has been spared jail.
Joshua Jones, of Mold Road, Buckley, appeared before Mold Crown Court on Wednesday (August 26).
The 19-year-old had previously admitted threatening a person with a blade in a private place.
Thomas McGloughlin, prosecuting, said the offence occurred on July 18 at a HMO (house in multiple occupancy) on Mold Road in Buckley town centre.
The court heard that Jones was shouting from an upstairs window to the complainant, Jack Freeth who was stood in the yard area.
The court heard that the defendant, who had “ongoing disagreements” with Mr Freeth, then brandished a knife and shouted: “I’ll come down there and stab you right now”.
The court was shown CCTV that showed Jones then running out of the house with a knife, and Mr Freeth running away.
The defendant chased him back through the house and then back outside, with Mr Freeth having to jump over a wall to escape.
In a victim personal statement, Mr Freeth said he has been left “extremely jumpy and shaken up”, and has “PTSD from knives”.
The court heard that Jones had one previous conviction for possessing an air gun when he was a youth.
Charlotte Cooper, defending, said that Jones has complex issues, including Tourette’s Syndrome and ADHD which affects his ability to manage his emotions. She said he had expressed genuine remorse, and doesn’t want to find himself before a court again.
Judge Simon Mills told the defendant: “All too often we see people carrying knives. When there are circumstances of hostility, all too often the knife goes into somebody.
“The knife very easily cuts through the skin, and there are so many vital organs in the human body. Very often the consequence of something like this is that the knife cuts a vital blood vessel. The victim stays on their feet for a few seconds before collapsing and very quickly they die.
“That’s why knife crime is taken so very seriously by the court.”
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The court heard that under the Sentencing Act 2026, custodial sentences of 12 months or less now carry a statutory presumption of suspension for offenders.
The judge sentenced Jones to 12 months detention in a young offenders institution – but suspended it for 18 months.
Jones must complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 150 hours of unpaid work.
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