A MAN from Gwynedd who threw a traffic cone at a woman’s vehicle and a pair of scissors at her daughter has been spared jail.

Arron Thomas, 32, of Tanybwlch Road, Rachub, was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, suspended for a year-and-a-half, at Caernarfon Crown Court today (March 14).

He had previously admitted charges of threatening a person with a bladed article, possession of a class B drug, and two counts of criminal damage to property.

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Prosecuting, Elen Owen told the court that, at about 1.10am on August 5, 2023 in Bethesda, the woman’s daughter was in bed at her home when she heard “loud bangs” from downstairs.

Thomas and the woman were in the living room arguing, with the defendant sticking a kitchen knife into a sofa saying: “I want to know where your mum has been.”

He was repeatedly asked to leave, but started screaming, calling the daughter a “rat”, and telling her: “come on then”.

She felt “very scared” so ran upstairs; as she did so, he opened a pair of scissors and threw them at her, landing on the stair below her.

Thomas later outside the house continuing to shout; by then, the woman had phoned police.

He then threw a traffic cone at her car, breaking a back light.

After officers arrived, cannabis was found in Thomas’ rucksack.

Defending Thomas, who had 16 previous convictions for 28 offences, James Coutts said that no injuries were caused by his client’s actions, and that the incident was “over relatively quickly”.

Thomas was said to struggle with alcoholism but “does have the ability to live a positive, law-abiding life,” Mr Coutts said.

He asked if a suspended custodial sentence could be issued to Thomas, which he felt was the “most constructive” option to allow him to take “more positive steps”.

Sentencing, Judge Timothy Petts agreed to suspend his sentence, but also ordered Thomas to complete a six-month alcohol treatment requirement.

Thomas will undergo 20 days’ rehabilitation activity requirements and a 35-session programme, and will pay each of his victims £125 in compensation.

Judge Petts told him: “This all kicked off because you’d been drinking. You have a history of problematic drinking.

“I think there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation which outweighs the need for immediate custody… (but) for the next 18 months, you’ve got a prison sentence hanging over you.

The cannabis seized from Thomas was ordered to be forfeited and destroyed.