Drunk man 'crossed the line' during incident with axe

Peter William Cook, 51, said that he was sorry when he appeared before magistrates.

Cook admitted that on April 1 this year he used violence to secure entry into the family home, Granite House, at Pandy, Llangollen. He was living temporarily with his sister in the Abertillery area but was commuting to the Shropshire area in order to continue his work in gardening and property maintenance. “I have lost everything. I cannot afford to lose my work,” he told North East Wales Magistrates’ Court in Mold on Friday.

The court was told that his wife Victoria Cook regarded him as her best friend and did not support the prosecution. But said she had told police she hoped he would use it as a wake-up call.

She confirmed she wanted neither compensation nor a restraining order.

Prosecutor Mr Justin Espie said police had responded to a report of an on-going domestic incident. On arrival they witnessed a small silver axe on the ground outside the property. His wife had called the police due to his behaviour.

Shouting

He was drunk and, after being told to leave, had been banging on the door and shouting at her when she refused to allow him in, the court heard. The defendant smashed a kitchen window with the small axe, climbed inside and chased her into a bedroom. She managed to get away by climbing through the bedroom window. His behaviour escalated so that she felt in danger and police noticed a significant amount of blood loss on the kitchen floor and broken glass when they arrived, and the defendant was arrested.

Mr Espie said the 999 call to the police showed the wife was screaming and distressed. A male could be heard shouting in the background. There was also the sound of broken glass.

She wanted him to get help and did not want him criminalised.

Probation officer Leah Arton said the couple had been married 20 years but in recent times there had been something of a breakdown because of trust issues and heavy drinking. It was his case that he went outside for a smoke, he was locked out and that was something that it was alleged had happened several times before. He had enough, wanted to get back in and had not gone looking for the axe. It was just there.

The defendant used it to smash the window but had no intention of using it on anyone inside the property. Cook said he was fully aware that he had scared those inside the property and was deeply ashamed, and that things may have been different if he had been sober.

He put himself as five on a one to ten sobriety scale but conceded that he had drunk heavily in recent years and drank between four to eight cans of beer a day together with a bottle of wine.

Cook told the court: “I would like to apologise. I crossed the line. It should not have happened. She locked me out when she was angry but I crossed the line. I have lost everything, basically. I cannot afford to lose my work.”

Cook was placed on an 18-month community order with rehabilitation, to help him look at his drink problem. They said that they regarded it as a reckless offence and he was also and fined £200 with £85 costs and an £85 surcharge.

Report by Elwyn Roberts