A man entered his former partner's house in the early hours of the morning armed with a flamethrower. Daniel Williams then lit the device causing a two-foot jet of flame to shoot out of the end in an act a judge said was clearly designed to "intimidate" his ex. The terrifying incident was done in breach of a restraining order banning him from going to the property following his conviction for stalking the woman.
Tom Roberts., prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court that on the night of January 25 this year Williams' ex fell asleep on the sofa while watching TV at her home on the Graig-y-Rhacca estate near Trethomas. As she was not expecting to fall asleep she had not locked the doors.
The court heard the woman woke in the early hours of the following morning to find Williams inside the property and carrying a flamethrower. Williams began shouting that the house was his and he was going lose everything because of his ex and he then began "flicking" the trigger of the device.
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The woman managed to call 999 before Williams activated the flamethrower causing a two-foot long jet of flame to shoot out of the end. The prosecutor said police arrived at the property "in short order" and the defendant tried to stop them entering by holding the door closed. The ex dragged him from the door and the officers were able to enter. The 35-year-old defendant was arrested and the flamethrower was seized. When Williams was searched he was also found to be in possession of a lump hammer in the waistband of his trousers.
The court heard that at the time of the incident the defendant was subject to a four-month suspended prison sentence and a restraining order imposed in March last year for offences of stalking, battery, possession of a bladed article, and obstructing a police officer following an offence involving his former partner.
In an impact statement which was read to the court Williams' ex said she suffers from flashbacks and anxiety as a result of the flamethrower incident and no longer feels safe in her own home. She said she lives with the trauma of what happened every day and though she is seeking support "no amount of counselling will be able to erase what he did".
Daniel Justin Morgan Williams, of Milton Terrace, Graig-y-Rhacca, Caerphilly, had previously pleaded guilty to breaching a restraining order and to affray when he appeared in the dock via videolink from prison for sentencing. Jeff Jones, for Williams, said the device his client took to the house could be more properly described as a blowtorch of the type used to melt tar on the roads and said the implement had not be pointed at anyone in the property.
Judge David Wynn Morgan told Williams he had entered his partner's house in breach of a court order and then had deliberately ignited the blow torch in an act designed to "intimidate" his ex. He told the defendant what he had done was "unforgivable". With a discount for his guilty pleas the judge sentenced Williams to 32 months in prison and also activated the defendant's previously-imposed four-month suspended sentence to run consecutively with the new sentence making an overall sentence of 36 months in prison. Williams will serve up to half that time in custody before being released on licence.
If you or someone you know is affected by domestic abuse visit the Live Fear Free website or call the helpline on 0808 80 10 800.
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