Powys man’s court outburst over waiting two weeks for sentence

Philip Malcolm Jones, 66, of Heol y Coleg, Vaynor, Newtown, appeared at Welshpool Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on Tuesday, May 23, after spending more than seven weeks at HMP Berwyn for breaching his bail conditions.

As magistrates’ chair, Rebecca Klug told the court that they were adjourning the sentencing hearing until June 6, Jones, who was flanked by two security officers in the dock, shouted: “Disgusting, disgusting. I’m losing my home, I’ve lost the car, I’ve lost everything. I’ve lost my respect because of you lot.”

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Jones had pleaded guilty to 11 offences which include harassing Briony and Christopher Fenner in Heol y Coleg and later using threatening behaviour at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on October 9, 2022.

He admitted assaulting Luke Evans in Aberystwyth on November 20, 2022, and that he drove a black Mercedes car while over the drink-drive limit in Heol Vaynor, Newtown on December 13, 2022.

The 66-year-old pleaded guilty to harassing Noah Bobby Davies, Izzy Wadey and Alex Williams in Newtown on January 12. Jones will also be sentenced for being drunk and disorderly in Heol y Coleg and assaulting police detention officer Jill Powell by beating in Newtown on March 22.

The Vaynor man also admitted being drunk and disorderly in Broad Street, Newtown and assaulting Joshua Ross on March 31.

Robert Hanratty, representing Jones, said the 66-year-old objected “in the strongest terms” to having his case adjourned until June 6.

“Locking him up for another two weeks is unconscionable for him,” he said. “You can understand it’s horrific.

“Somebody has broken into his flat, we don’t know what has gone, and the Mercedes has been trashed. He’s pulling out what’s left of his hair. His dog has been taken away.

“It’s a pretty poor show not to have dealt with Philip as he’s been here since 9.30am and has been languishing in the cells all day.

“He hasn’t been near alcohol for two months. He is a frail man with very little understanding why he’s in the predicament he’s in.”

Probation officer Julian Davies told the magistrates bench that a full pre-sentence report would be needed for Jones and proposed that the case should be adjourned.

“It’s not something I can jump in to do,” Mr Davies said.

“He was adamant that alcohol wasn’t an issue. It’s difficult to work with somebody who is denying they have an alcohol problem.”

After deciding to adjourn the case, Ms Klug told Jones before he was taken back to prison: “We’ve taken a long time to discuss this. You do have a history of not keeping to bail conditions and you have continued in the past to offend while on bail.”