A CWMBRAN man who claimed he was joking when he threatened to kill a vulnerable woman in her flat with a knife has been jailed.

Nailly Edwards, aged 21, of The Tower in Southville, insisted on coming into the woman’s home in St Arvans, Cwmbran, earlier this year before wielding a kitchen knife and pretending to speak to an accomplice on the phone.

Cardiff Crown Court heard earlier today how the 23-year-old woman’s housing officer told a PCSO to visit her because he had concerns over her safety.

Prosecutor John Probert said the woman, who has mental health issues, told the officer on March 20 that the previous day Edwards had persistently knocked on her door demanding to come inside.

She eventually let him in, the court heard, and the defendant went to the kitchen and picked up a knife, cleaned it, and added: “There will be no fingerprints.”

The court heard the defendant then picked up a phone and said: “It’s OK Dale, we will kill her.”

Edwards then told her he was joking and there was no-one on the phone, but by this point the woman was “tearful and genuinely in fear of her life”, Mr Probert said.

The court heard the defendant was laughing as he explained to the woman - who he had previously had sexual relations with - that he was pretending.

Edwards was interviewed on March 22 and was abusive towards the interviewing officer, Mr Probert said. He pleaded guilty to one count of making threats to kill at a hearing on May 21.

The court heard he had 16 previous convictions, mainly for sexual offences, and was a “complex young man” with a lack of “self-regulation”.

Judge David Wynn Morgan said: “Because of my personal knowledge of you I’m satisfied that you are a dangerous offender.”

He sentenced Edwards to 32 weeks in jail, for which he will serve half in custody, and was told he would be on licence for a further 24 months upon his release.

“For the benefit of the community, if you misbehave in the next two years, you will go straight to custody,” Judge Wynn Morgan added.