Telford man threatened neighbour with knife

Adrian Burns, 43, of Matlock Drive, Dawley, thought he had seen a local drug addict near to his former home in Pageant Drive, Aqueduct, on December 21 last year so armed himself with a knife.

Prosecutor David Iles told Shrewsbury Crown Court that Burns thought the man had been trying to break his door down and he ‘wanted to keep him away’.

“He was inebriated,” Mr Iles told Judge Anthony Lowe.

“At 5.50am the complainant was standing outside his home address waiting for a lift to work.

“He noticed the defendant standing outside. The defendant disappeared and then reappeared carrying a large kitchen knife. He said: ‘I’m going to stab you’.

“An hour later he was in the Rugby area and called the defendant to ask what had gone on.

“The defendant said: ‘Wait until you get home – you are going to have a blade in you’.

“The defendant then posted a threat on Facebook.”

Mr Iles said police went to the Aqueduct address, spoke to Burns, and seized a knife and a Samsung mobile phone.

He was arrested and taken in to custody.

Burns admitted a charge of threatening another with a bladed article and sending a threatening letter.

Dafydd Roberts, for Burns, said his client had thought the complainant was another man when he confronted him with the knife.

He added that Burns has significant health problems and was in constant pain.

Judge Lowe said he was worried about knife crime.

“When people use knives like you did, they should go to prison for good reason,” he said.

“There is a prevalence of knife crime sometimes with unintended consequences.

“Knives are dangerous weapons that can cause serious injuries.”

He handed Burns a 20-week jail sentence suspended for 18 months and a rehabilitation activity requirement for 30 days for the knife crime and a month’s concurrent sentence for sending a threatening letter. He also gave Burns a five-year restraining order.