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A man pulled out a knife and made a "slashing motion" towards a man who was following him in a busy city centre. Dafydd Harper then tried to hide the blade in a flowerbed in Wrexham city centre. But a member of the public spotted him and gave the knife and spare blades to police. Harper, 43, admitted threatening a person with a blade in a public place. A judge at Mold Crown Court today jailed Harper for 16 months. Prosecutor Amy Edwards said the defendant had been in The Midland pub in Wrexham on Saturday, September 9 this year. You can sign up for all the latest court stories here Harper had an argument there with some men and left. But one of the men and his friend followed Harper on to High Street, the court heard. CCTV footage, which was played in court, showed Harper "turning round and making a slashing motion with a knife," said Ms Edwards. She said the defendant went to Lord Street and tried to hide this Stanley knife and spare blades in a flowerbed. But a member of the public found the knife and blades. They passed them to police when they arrived. Harper was arrested and gave no comment answers in an interview. Euros Jones, defending, said it was clear that Harper was not the "aggressor" as he was "followed with malice". But Mr Jones said: "He fully accepts he should not have acted in this manner on a Saturday afternoon in Wrexham city centre. He's disgusted with his actions." Mr Jones also said Harper has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He was sectioned in 2008 and 2009 when his mental health deteriorated but is now on medication. Today the judge His Honour Rhys Rowlands told Harper he had been on licensed premises and armed himself with a knife on a busy street with children present. He said: "You were not in proper control of yourself. You had lost your temper. Drink undoubtedly played a part in your behaviour." The court heard Harper is currently serving a 42-week jail sentence, comprising 20 weeks for an unrelated offence of damaging property in July and 22 weeks following the activation of part of a suspended sentence for threatening to commit criminal damage. Today the judge said the 16-month jail term for the knife offence must be served consecutively after the 42-week sentence is served. Find crime figures for your area
