Drunk from Llanferres threatened to stab his ex-partner in the face

Keith Alan Hibbert, 31, made the threat in late night calls to his former partner, the mother of his two children.

But when he was sober the following morning he did not remember making the threats.

His solicitor Fiona Larkin said Hibbert, who the court heard has a brain condition, certainly had no intention of carrying them out.

Hibbert, of Bryn Eithin, Tafarnygelyn near Llanferres, between Mold and Ruthin, admitted a harassment charge dating back to June 27.

District Judge Gwyn Jones, sitting at Flintshire Magistrates’ Court at Mold, made a four-year restraining order, under which he is not to contact her in any way or attend at her home address.

He was made the subject of a 10-week community order, under which he will be electronically tagged to ensure he remains indoors between 7pm and 7am.

The judge said that it was an unpleasant incident in which he made comments which hurt her and no doubt made her very fearful.

His former partner, and others, had become “the brunt of that unpleasant side to your character” that night, he said.

The judge said he would not award compensation and said no amount of money could compensate the victim for the trauma she had been caused.

Prosecutor Rhian Jackson told the court yesterday the relationship ended in 2014 because it was alleged Hibbert was abusive and threatening.

Since the separation the victim had been seeking assistance from a woman’s refuge in Liverpool.

It was in the early hours of the morning her phone rang several times and he left voicemail messages.

He told her: “Be careful what you do”.

Hibbert was said to be shouting and screaming abuse and was aggressive. He told her he would “come over and stab you in the face” and warned her to “watch your back.”

It left her feeling anxious and nervous and she had panic attacks, which she used to have when they were in a relationship.

In a victim impact statement she told how she felt intimidated by him, and was left feeling depressed.

Interviewed, he said he was upset at not seeing his children on Father’s Day.

That day, he had been drinking and could not remember making the calls.

He said he had a bad feeling when he woke up, checked his phone, and realised he had been texting friends and had called his former partner.

But he did not recall anything after about 10pm.

He knew instantly he would be in trouble.

Asked about the threat to stab her in the face, he said he would never do anything like that.

But he accepted it would have been distressing for the victim.

Ms Larkin said her client had brain disease and was unable to work.

It created physical problems, including numbness in the legs.

He had been upset that he had not seen his children, especially on Father’s Day.

That day he had been drinking and could not remember ringing her or making the comments.

“He would not have carried out any of the threats,” said Miss Larkin.

The defendant had texted friends, not just her, because of his alcohol consumption.