A KNIFEMAN in a five-hour siege at his partner’s Blaenau Ffestiniog home after taking drugs has been jailed for 15 months.

Kenneth Hyde, 41, of Tanygrisiau, admitted affray.

Caernarfon crown court heard armed police, dogs and negotiators attended and Hyde threatened to stab officers.

His distressed girlfriend Nia Pugh was allowed eventually to leave the flat and Hyde did so too, later.

Prosecuting counsel Frances Willmott said Miss Pugh had phoned police to say he was at her home, had taken drugs and had a knife. He was behaving in a threatening manner.

When police arrived at the scene Hyde asked for cigarettes which were given to him. But when he opened the door, officers saw he had a knife and no attempt was made to force entry into the flat.

“The defendant was repeatedly shouting through the window that he would stab the first officer who came in,” Miss Willmott said. Eventually Hyde agreed to allow Miss Pugh to leave the flat and she was “highly distressed.”

The girlfriend said she had contacted police because Hyde was “hearing voices.” He’d been sitting at a window with the knife at his own throat.

At 2pm, a friend and police managed to persuade Hyde to leave the flat. He was taken to hospital and then police custody.

The prosecutor added that he had convictions for 60 offences.

Dafydd Roberts, defending, said since being remanded in custody Hyde had engaged with substance misuse services in prison.

Judge Rhys Rowlands said Hyde had taken amphetamine and crack cocaine and the defendant accepted he habitually carried a knife for his own protection.

No-one was hurt last month. But the judge said :”It was a worrying, serious and protracted incident.”

After the case Detective Inspector Gerwyn Thomas at Caernarfon CID said :”Hyde is a prolific offender with a depressing track record of violence and dishonesty and so the sentence is significant for his victim and the local communities. On December 6 his actions traumatised his victim and his subsequent refusal to give himself up to attending police officers and continued anti-social behaviour disrupted the whole community for several hours. I welcome the sentence and hope it will provide the public with reassurance and make our communities safer.