A 27-year-old man has been sentenced to six months in prison after being caught carrying a large kitchen knife at Cwmbran Shopping Centre.
Adam Mathias was arrested on 28 November 2024 after a concerned member of the public spotted the weapon and alerted police. Officers found the six-inch knife concealed in the waistband of his trousers.
During his appearance at Cardiff Crown Court on 9 January, it emerged that Mathias claimed he carried the weapon “in order to protect himself” from individuals he had previous altercations with in the area.
The court heard about Mathias’s extensive criminal history, including 27 previous convictions for 41 offences since 2012. He had previously served a 15-month sentence for similar weapons offences in February 2023.
His defence highlighted various personal challenges, including dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, and ongoing complications from a hip replacement following a 2023 incident where he was struck by a vehicle in what was described as a “revenge attack”. 🏥
Recorder Robin Rouch, acknowledging these factors, determined there was “no alternative to custody” but imposed the “shortest possible sentence”. Mathias will serve a maximum of three months before release on licence.
