Man attacked neighbours who stepped in to stop him assaulting ex-partner

A bare-chested man who was foaming at the mouth attacked two neighbours who bravely stepped in to stop him assaulting his former partner.

Sam Evans, 27, from Cwmbran, threatened to kill the pair with an axe and then struck the police officer who came to arrest him in the nose with his knee.

As he was arrested, the defendant told police: “I’m going to go mental in three, two, one...”

The incident occurred at Monnow Court in Cwmbran on the evening of December 22 last year.

Lowri Wynn Morgan, prosecuting, said Tracey Kelleher and Mark Steele heard shouting, swearing and smashing outside.

The court heard they recognised Evans as their neighbour’s former partner and heard her child calling for help.

Prosecutors said Ms Kelleher went into her neighbour’s home and Evans “grabbed” her before butting her. She said she felt “powerless” against him.

The court heard Mr Steele dragged the defendant away, then Evans started punching him. Mr Steele said he thought the defendant was on drugs, as his eyes were “bulging” in his head and he was foaming at the mouth.

Ms Wynn Morgan said: “The defendant picked up a pickaxe and shouted: ‘I’m going to kill you.’”

Another neighbour, who worked as a doorman, came to help.

Evans, from Shakespeare Road in Cwmbran, admitted two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He also admitted obstructing and assaulting police officers.

Laurence Jones, mitigating, said he remembered “very little” about what happened.

Judge Richard Williams Evans for 20 months. jailed