Resident disarmed knife-threat attacker

A BRAVE Milford Haven man who disarmed a knife wielding neighbour was praised by a judge on Tuesday (Dec 23). Shaun Lee Roberts, aged 37, had attacked his girlfriend and was threatening to slit her throat when neighbour Mark Harris went to her aid. He grabbed Roberts’ arm, rolled his body into him and elbowed him in the face until he dropped the large kitchen knife.

Mr Harris, and fellow neighbour Rachel Crane who also went to help after hearing screams, were praised for their bravery by Judge Paul Thomas at Swansea crown court, when Roberts was sentenced. Roberts, of Telegraph Cottage, Gorsewood Drive, admitted assaulting Katy Walker, threatening to kill her and wounding Mr Harris, who suffered a cut to his hand while disarming him.

He was jailed for two years. Dean Pulling, prosecuting, said Roberts had been in a four year relationship with Miss Walker and they had a daughter together. But he was possessive and jealous and she had to regularly send him text messages whenever she was out of the house. On August 22 this year they went to a pub in Milford Haven and Miss Walker spoke to a man. Roberts discovered she had also talked to him at a gym and his mood changed.

On the way home he walked in the road, pushed her and called her names. At home he became more aggressive and repeatedly threatened to kill her. At one stage Miss Walker picked up a kitchen knife to protect herself, but put it down when he appeared to become calmer. But Roberts threw her to the floor and, while wearing boots, kicked her in the face several times. He then picked up the knife, put the blade to her face and said he was about to slit her throat.

The attack was interrupted by loud bangs on the front door as Mr Harris and Miss Crane arrived. After his arrest, Roberts told police he had little recollection of what had happened. During an interview he accepted he could be jealous and insecure about his relationship with Miss Walker, which was now “completely at an end.” David Williams, Roberts’ barrister, told the court that Roberts himself had received facial injuries during the prolonged incident.

Judge Thomas said that was hardly surprising as Miss Walker had tried to defend herself and Mr Harris had struggled to get the knife from him. Mr Williams said Roberts was “haunted” by what he had done. Judge Thomas said Roberts, a pipefitter, had carried out a “particularly bad episode of domestic violence” during which he had held a knife to Miss Walker’s throat to add to the terror. Mark Harris and Rachel Crane had acted bravely, he added. Roberts was also made the subject of a restraining order and banned from contacting Miss Walker, unless through his parents and only in relation to their daughter, and from entering a named street in Hakin.