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A man with an "'unhealthy interest in weapons" stabbed someone in the stomach with a "push-dagger" in a seemingly motiveless attack, a court has heard. A judge said it was clear Oliver Dowling had been "spoiling for trouble" when he armed with two "fearsome weapons" and attacked his victim. Cardiff Crown Court heard that when the defendant was arrested by armed officers in a pub car park he was "excitable" and quizzed them about their guns Dean Pulling, prosecuting, told the court that at lunchtime on July 14 this year the complainant in the case was at home on the Hafalnod estate in Tenby when he heard someone shouting outside the property. He said the man looked out of the window and saw Dowling – someone he knew of through mutual friends – was in the garden issuing threats. The prosecutor said the defendant was carrying a "push-dagger" – a knuckleduster-like weapon with a blade sticking out – and a flick-knife. For the latest court stories sign up to our crime newsletter . The court heard the complainant went out see what was happening and that it was obvious to him that Dowling was under the influence of substances. A physical confrontation then took place with Dowling headbutting his victim before being punched in return and the two men went to the ground and continued to struggle. The prosecutor said that during the struggle Dowling stabbed his victim in the abdomen with the push-dagger though the victim did not realise he had been stabbed and assumed the had just been punched. The altercation came to an end and Dowling walked off before the complainant went back into his home. It was only at that point when he saw his trousers were wet with blood that he realised he had been stabbed and was bleeding. The court heard Dowling subsequently returned to the victim's flat and spat blood through the open kitchen window before becoming involved in an altercation with a friend of the complainant, which led to a neighbour calling the police. The prosecutor said the injured man went to Glangwili Hospital where medics found a penetrating stab wound to the left side of his abdomen. A CT scan found air trapped in the soft tissue of the abdomen but the injured man declined to have the wound closed and instead discharged himself. Meanwhile police officers had gone to Dowling's house and found he was not at home. However they did find "multiple knives" along with four brass bullets and the prosecutor said it was apparent the defendant had an "unhealthy interest in weapons". Police seized a push-dagger and flick-knife from a "military style pouch" along with a blood-stained camouflage top and a total of 18g of cannabis in various packages. Firearms officers tracked Dowling down to a pub car park and arrested him. The court heard the defendant was "very excitable" and asked the armed officers all about the weapons they were carrying. In his subsequent interview he admitted being involved in an altercation and said he had headbutted the other man in self-defence. During the interview his mood was noted to be alternating between calm, excitable, and abusive. In response to a question from Judge Eugen Egan the prosecution barrister said there was nothing he had read in the case which provided any sort of explanation or reason for the incident. In an impact statement which was read to the court the victim of the stabbing said he no longer feels safe in his own home and wants to move to a different address. Oliver Dowling, aged 21, of Newell Hill, Tenby, had previously pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding, threatening with an offensive weapon in a private place, and possession of cannabis when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has previous convictions for being drunk and disorderly and for failing to provide a specimen for analysis. Stuart John, for Dowling, said the defendant had a background of mental health issues including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, and depression and also of substance misuse – specifically Valium and Xanax. He said he had spoken the the defendant's mother and grandmother and they had told him "in no uncertain terms" that they will be providing "structured support" for Dowling going forward. He said the defendant's mother was of the view that the period her son had spent on remand had been beneficial in providing some stability in his life and allowing him to reflect on the path he was taking. The advocate said he would invite the court to pass a sentence of a length that could be suspended and said it would be in the interests of justice to suspend it and to allow probation to work with the defendant. Judge Egan told Dowling he had clearly been "spoiling for trouble" when he went to his victim's house armed with two "fearsome weapons", which he was "prepared and wiling to use". He said the defendant was fortunate the injuries he had caused had not been more grave than they were. The judge said given the time the defendant had spent on remand imposing a sentence of immediate custody would result in him spending only around another four months in prison where he would receive "minimal assistance". The judge said he was satisfied on the basis of everything he had read that "the best way forward" for the defendant and for the public was a suspended sentence with requirements. With a one-quarter discount for his guilty pleas Dowling was sentenced to 15 months in prison suspended for 24 months and was ordered to complete a drug rehabilitation requirement and a rehabilitation course. The defendant must also pay his victim £500 compensation and was made the subject of a five-year restraining order. Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice .
