A NEWPORT man with a "lengthy" criminal record is facing more time behind bars after being caught with a machete.

Wesley John Davies was one of three masked men a police officer spotted on a driveway in Caerau Crescent on January 9.

The officer described the men as "dressed all in black", with one holding a baseball bat and another – Davies – holding a "long black item".

Someone then shouted for help, and when the three men saw the police vehicle, they ran off, Martha Smith Higgins, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court on Monday.

The police officer called for back-up and gave chase, finding a machete in the garden of a nearby property.

Two of the three suspects were caught in Tunnel Terrace, and police used a Taser to bring down Davies, who was then arrested and taken to Newport Central Police Station.

There, the 31-year-old was initially deemed "too dangerous to be interviewed" due to "threats made from the cells".

Davies, of Tetbury Close, pleaded guilty to one charge of possessing a bladed or sharply pointed article in a public place.

The court heard the defendant had a "lengthy record" and had been convicted aged 12 of possessing a bladed article. He also has prior convictions relating to possessing a screwdriver and steak knives.

Peter Donnison, defending, noted Davies' guilty plea and said the defendant had had a "troubled life from a very early age".

The judge, Timothy Petts, described the January 9 incident as "clearly not a social visit".

There was a "risk of serious disorder", he added.

Davies, who is already locked up for other matters, was sentenced to a further 12 months in prison, to run consecutively to his current custodial term.

The judge also added six months to Davies' active driving disqualification, to correspond with the extra time he will spend in prison.