ARMED police raced to stop a thug armed with a meat cleaver and kitchen knife who made threats to stab a man in the neck.

Jack Pitman was furious with Michael Clarke and set off on foot, aiming to walk around seven miles from Rogiet to Chepstow to confront him.

He was angry with him because of an alleged domestic incident between Mr Clarke and the defendant’s partner’s sister.

Pitman picked up a 17cm meat cleaver and a 19cm kitchen knife and marched to Chepstow to find him, Cardiff Crown Court was told.

David Pugh, prosecuting, said police, including an armed unit, were alerted and they started searching for the defendant.

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Two officers found Pitman on Rogiet Road, Caldicot, and pointed their Tasers at him.

He had tossed his own weapons into a field before he was arrested but they were later recovered with his fingerprints on them.

When he was being taken to the police station, he told them: “I would have gone to Chepstow and stabbed the **** in the neck.”

Pitman, 25, of Sir Howel Crescent, Undy, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a bladed article.

The offences were committed on the night of January 20, 2021.

Mr Pugh said the defendant had three previous convictions for three offences.

They included one for unlawful wounding from 2015 when he had left his victim with a cut to the head after attacking them with a bottle.

Gareth Williams, representing Pitman said: “Maybe it was a bit of bravado but you can’t take knives out in public.”

He told the court his client had been drinking to excess at the time but had now curbed his alcohol intake.

The judge, Recorder Dyfed Llion Thomas, told Pitman: “At around 10.30pm that night, there was a telephone call from your partner’s mother.

“Basically, she informed the police and relevant parties that you had become upset about a domestic incident involving the boyfriend of your partner’s sister.

“The court will proceed on the basis that you, perhaps in drink, believed whatever you were told and were aggrieved.

“It is not, and I stress not, making a finding that Mr Clarke had done anything wrong on that night.

“But the sentence will be based on your belief that that may have been the case.

“You were described as being very angry and you had caused some damage in the house before you grabbed two knives.

“They were frightening implements and if you had used them that night you could have caused really serious harm and you would have faced different charges to the ones which you face now.

“You left for Mr Clarke’s home. Armed units had to be allocated and they were despatched to try and find you.”

He said Mr Clarke must have “exceptionally frightened” when he was told Pitman was out looking for him armed with knives and making threats to harm him.

The defendant was jailed for 10 months, suspended for 24 months.

Pitman was made the subject of a 22-day rehabilitation activity requirement and a six-month curfew between 7pm and 7am