A KNIFEMAN being chased by a gang sought shelter in a shop and warned a terrified worker there he would stab them if they came in.

Gareth Rousen told the woman he was being pursued by a mob and was seeking refuge there because he knew it had CCTV cameras.

Prosecutor Tom Roberts said the defendant burst into the Premier Store on Caerphilly’s Nantgarw Road.

He told Cardiff Crown Court: “It was at around 9.40am on December 9, 2020 when he went into the shop.

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“He told the woman working there, ‘Call the police, I’ve got a knife.’

“The shop worker could see the knife handle in the waistband of the defendant’s trousers.

“He said to her he was being chased by some boys. He said he wasn’t going to stab her but he was going to stab them if they came in.

“The defendant gave his name and said he knew he was going to get done for having a knife.”

Mr Roberts added: “He took a bottle of Frosty Jack’s cider, worth £3.75, opened it and began to drink it.

“He was asked if he was going to pay for it. He replied, ‘No, I’m stealing it.’

“When the police arrived, he threw the 12-inch knife on the counter.”

Rousen told officers he wanted to have any incident captured on CCTV because if he stabbed his pursuers they could see it was in self-defence.

Mr Roberts said: “The shop worker told how the defendant’s mannerisms had made her feel nervous.

“She added, ‘My heart was racing.’”

Rousen, 36, of Nantgarw Road, Caerphilly, who has 60 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to having a knife in public and theft.

Jeffrey Jones, mitigating, said the defendant wanted to apologise for his actions.

He added: “It is clear he chose to be arrested. It was because he was in fear of an attack on the streets.”

Judge David Wynn Morgan told Rousen: “Your behaviour was rather bizarre. You caused considerable anxiety and distress.

“It was a potentially dangerous situation.”

He was jailed for eight months and ordered to pay a £156 surcharge after his release from prison.

Outside the court, PC Mark Powell, Gwent Police's officer in the case said: “Rousen committed theft from a shop and while doing so was in possession of large knife.

"This was a distressing situation for the shop worker.

“The use of knives in our communities will not be tolerated and we will take action against anyone found to be in possession of a knife in public.

“If anyone has any information about individuals carrying knives or has any concerns, please call Gwent police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

"In an emergency always dial 999.”