Jail for man who launched violent knife attack in broad daylight

A man who sent threatening messages before launching a violent knife attack on his victim has been jailed for over two years.

Dyfed-Powys Police arrested Nathan James Lee Clarke less than half an hour after the assault at Withybush Industrial Estate was reported on August 12, 2019.

The victim reported that he had been working at the showground when he received a message from his ex-partner asking to meet up. He drove to see her and parked next to her car, when Clarke appeared and lunged at him with a knife.

A struggle took place, during which the defendant punched and headbutted the victim, who was left with a laceration above his eye.

The victim managed to get out of the van, when Clarke took a baseball bat and began smashing the windscreen, headlight and side door before being driven away from the scene.

Officer in case PC Mathew Davies said: “This was a particularly violent incident, which left the victim with injuries to his face, hand and back, as well as causing significant damage to the van he was in.

“The priority for attending officers was to ensure his safety, while also ensuring all crucial pieces of evidence were secured swiftly.

“A number of officers attended the scene, along with the dog unit, with Police Dog Samson locating a knife with a four inch blade in nearby undergrowth.

“This matched the photo of a weapon Clarke had sent the victim in the days leading up to the assault, in which he threatened to beat up and stab him.”

A baseball bat and a plastic tub containing white powder which Clarke had discarded were also seized. The powder was established to be cocaine with a street value of £3,700.

Clarke, aged 27, of Letterston, was found nearly two miles from the scene of the attack, and was immediately arrested.

While in custody, he made a number of significant comments linking him to the assault, including “I have not done anything wrong apart from smash his van with a bat and I hit him twice”.

Based on the strength of evidence linking Clarke to the assault, and his DNA being found on the tub of cocaine, he was charged with assault causing actual bodily harm, possession of a blade, criminal damage and possession with intent to supply class A drugs

He admitted the four charges at Swansea Crown Court on June 17 and was sentenced to 29 months in prison.

“This was a lengthy and detailed investigation into both the assault and possession of cocaine, which we were able to prove to the CPS and the court was not a quantity consistent with personal use as Clarke had tried to argue,” PC Davies said.

“I would like to thank all officers involved for their determination in following all lines of enquiry to secure the charges, and for their commitment when faced with additional challenges brought by the pandemic.”