Judge Paul Hobson said the couple’s children in their lives deserved better than to be around them
A couple chased their daughter’s ex-partner out of their house in Mountain Ash with a hammer and six-inch kitchen knife before smashing his car window with the hammer.
Cardiff Crown Court heard how on April 14 Mr Smart visited David and Rebecca Morgan’s home in Fernhill, Mountain Ash. He went there to collect his children from his ex-partner who was the couple’s daughter.
Mr Tim Naylor, prosecuting, said Mr Smart was refused entry and he tried to enter the property. The court heard how Mr Smart’s friends were waiting outside in a Vauxhall and witnessed him being chased from the property.
David Morgan chased him with a hammer which he smashed through the window of the car. The court heard how he was accompanied by his wife Rebecca Morgan who had a six-inch kitchen knife which she was “slinging around” while saying words to the effect of “you better stay away”.
Mr Naylor said that Mrs Cook, who was one of the friends sat in the car, was “scared for her safety” and worried they were going to hurt her.
When questioned by the police after their arrest, both said the knife had been thrown from the vehicle and she had picked it up. Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here.
Andrew Kendall, for David Morgan, said his client hadn’t been in any trouble since 2020 and his previous poor compliance with court orders had been to do with the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr Kendall explained how David Morgan has four grown up children, two of which still live with them along with several grandchildren.
The court heard that the couple take on a lot of childcare responsibilities for their daughter.
Ben Jones, for Rebecca Morgan, added that it was a “highly emotionally charged event regarding her grandchildren”.
David Morgan, 47, has 18 previous convictions for 38 offences most of which were driving related. Rebecca Morgan, 44, has two previous convictions for four offences. She was most recently in trouble with the courts in 2002.
David Morgan was charged with criminal damage and having an offensive weapon. Rebecca Morgan was charged with having a bladed article in public.
During sentencing, Judge Paul Hobson said: “You are two individuals who are of mature years. You are in your forties and at that age you really should know better than to behave in the way that you did in this incident in April.
“Whatever the differences between you and Mr Smart, whatever the problems, and whatever led to that confrontation, behaviour like this is entirely unacceptable. One measure of that is that children are involved in all of this.
“The children in your lives deserve better than the adults in theirs behaving like this.”
Judge Hobson continued: “David Morgan, you used that hammer to pursue Mr Smart and caused damage to his vehicle. Rebecca Morgan you had that knife out in the street pulling it visibly to others. People living in the Mountain Ash area should not have to put up with individuals in the streets with weapons.”
Judge Hobson ruled it would be “detrimental” for a number of people, including children, if they were given immediate custody. He sentenced Rebecca Morgan to three months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered her to attend 10 rehabilitation activity days.
David Morgan was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months, with the lead offence of having an offensive weapon. He was given a one month concurrent sentence for criminal damage, ordered to attend 20 rehabilitation activity days and pay £115 in compensation.
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