Man armed with meat tenderiser outside Tesco Welshpool
A man with "substantial" mental health issues was armed with a meat tenderiser to protect himself outside a supermarket after hearing voices in his head.
Police officers drew out their Tasers at Simon Johnson who was drinking from a bottle of champagne and holding the kitchen equipment outside Tesco in Welshpool while customers were told to stay away on the evening of April 3.
Welshpool Magistrates' Court was told that Johnson bought the meat tenderiser because he believed people were after him and was scared that they would cause him harm.
Johnson, of no fixed abode but had been sleeping in a tent at the time of his arrest, was sentenced to 26 weeks imprisonment which was suspended for 18 months after pleading guilty to possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.
Prosecutor Suzanne Cartwright told the magistrates that Tesco store manager Duncan Borthwick noted it was "odd" that Johnson was buying a bottle of Champagne and a meat tenderiser, so he kept an eye on him.
Johnson was looking "agitated" walking back and forth outside the entrance of the Mill Lane supermarket before asking Mr Borthwick to call the police because "someone was after him but didn't say who".
Johnson was arrested and told police that he was scared after he hadn't taken his prescribed daily medication for a few days.
The 41-year-old, who has 53 convictions for 164 offences over almost 30 years, was almost at the end of a six-month sentence which was suspended for 12 months at the time of his latest offending.
The prosecutor told the magistrates that the suspended sentence must be activated unless there were exceptional circumstances.
Defence solicitor Gurleen Kaur said her client's offending was contributed by his mental health issues which include psychosis, hallucinations and paranoia. Johnson had been released in February after being sectioned last year.
"The defendant had a genuine belief at the time that he was being chased by somebody," Ms Kaur said.
"He was stood outside the Tesco store front in case somebody came to him. He didn't intend to distress anyone or use it against anyone; only for self-defence because he had the genuine belief he was going to be attacked."
She added: "He is extremely remorseful and didn't intend to hurt anyone or cause fear of violence to take place.
"The exceptional circumstances are his mental health which needs addressing."
The probation service told the court that despite Johnson being assessed as high risk of reoffending and harm to the public, his rehabilitation would not be successful in prison.
Chair of the magistrates' bench Anthony Jackson told Johnson: "We are concerned about your mental health having what we've heard, and we acknowledge that you were sectioned a while back.
"We believe that exceptional circumstances must apply and there is no worth in you being on a custodial sentence when quite clearly you need some help."
The court then heard that Johnson wanted to leave Powys, where he has no family or friends, and go to Wrexham to tell the local authority that he is homeless.
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