A man who poured petrol through his aunt’s letterbox and threatened to kill her during a complex feud said to involve a Middle Eastern drugs ring has been spared jail.
Peter Williams, of Northop Road, Flint, also sent death threats to Jane Burns and caused more than £1,000 of damage to her car
Peter Williams, of Northop Road, Flint, targeted Jane Burns and her husband Daniel in Bennetts Row in Oakenholt on September 20.
He also caused damage worth more than £1,000 to the family’s Volvo car, which was dented and scratched.
Williams, 22, had admitted going to his aunt’s home with a can containing a small amount of petrol, water and possibly anti-freeze, but claimed he did not intend to ignite it.
The mixture had been poured through the Burns’ letterbox.
Williams also admitted sending Mrs Burns death threats via a Facebook message just days before.
At Mold Crown Court today, Recorder Simon Mills said he could have gone to jail as he was already on a suspended sentence for burglary.
But Mr Mills instead gave Williams, who has autism and mental health problems, a four-month jail sentence suspended for 18 months.
Describing it as an incredibly difficult case, he warned Williams: “I can’t see a third chance for you and if you commit a silly offence again you should be brought before this crown court and dealt with.”
The court heard the incident was part of a complex feud , which also included the defendant’s mother Annabella Williams - the aunt of Gareth Bale's fiancée Emma Rhys-Jones - having two cars torched on her driveway.
It emerged that Mrs Williams was the innocent victim of what is thought to be a gangland dispute.
The attack on Mrs Williams’ cars came just days after the Cardiff home of Ms Rhys-Jones’ grandparents was set on fire.
It was claimed the grandparents’ home was being used to stash narcotics by Epiphany Dring, 27, a cousin of the Real Madrid star’s partner.
Flintshire magistrates had heard former topless model Ms Dring had become involved in a serious Middle Eastern drugs ring.
The hearing heard that it was believed Mrs Williams, 55, had been followed by members of the gang to her home in Flint, where they set the cars alight.
Her son then poured the petrol mixture through the letterbox at Ms Dring’s parents’ house in Oakenholt, as he blamed the family for the trouble his parents had found themselves in.
Today, Williams was in tears in the dock before his fate was decided.
Andrew Green, defending, said: “His offences have to be seen in the context of the condition he has.”
Mr Green said Williams’ parents, Peter and Annabella, had been advised by police to move out of their address and to “go into hiding”.
Given all the evidence, Mr Mills said: “You are not going to go to prison today and that has been a very difficult decision to take.”
But he added: “There will come a point where a judge will say: ‘I’m sorry, you have been given enough chances.’”
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/man-avoids-jail-over-petrol-12094549
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