'Courageous' woman hit jealous airsoft gun-wielding stalker in the head with rounders bat
A woman who ran a tearoom showed “commendable courage” when she hit her “gunman” ex-partner on the head with a rounders bat, a judge said.
Mold Crown Court heard jealous stalker Nathan Griffin, 34, of Hall Street, Welshpool, had struggled with another man who Trudy Langton had met, and hit him with an imitation Glock-style pistol. He was disarmed and it had been an airsoft weapon used for games.
Jailing Griffin for 21 months and imposing a five-year restraining order, Judge Rhys Rowlands said on Wednesday the weapon was “realistic in its nature".
The defendant admitted stalking, possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear and unlawful wounding of Howard Clement.
Defence barrister Jemma Gordon said Griffin didn’t intend to contact the victims again.
Judge Rowlands said his behaviour was “born out of jealousy". Griffin had visited Miss Langton’s workplace, shouted and screamed, called her and sent unpleasant messages.
The judge said: “Matters took a turn for the worse after Miss Langton met Mr Clement.”
He said the stalking had been “protracted in nature.”
