A 25-year-old Forest of Dean man has been jailed for 16 months for assaulting two men aggressively in Lydney by wielding a knife at them.

Prosecutor Lucy Taylor explained to Cirencester Courthouse that on March 12, this year at around 10 pm in Lydney, Cameron Smith, formerly of Boating Lake Lane, Lydney, was clearly seen running towards two men in a deserted street in an aggressive manner.

“Smith is then seen taking out a knife from his waistband and a physical altercation ensued, during which he wielded the knife at the men, who believed he was intent on causing them harm.

“The resulting scuffle saw Smith throw numerous punches at both men and bite one of them. 

“During the course of the fight the knife was dropped and was picked up by one of the two men who disposed of it down the drain.

“Smith continued to lash out at the two men, with one of them retaliating and managing to punch back at Smith and take him to the floor. 

“Whilst on the floor the two men continued to grapple with each other, before Smith was restrained by a member of the public. 

“After the fight Smith found himself on the roof of a nearby outhouse in somebody’s garden, telling the property owner, ‘don’t let them hit me, don’t let them kill me’.

“The property owner then heard a car engine revving outside his home with voices shouting at Smith, ‘We’re going to stab you’. He also saw a white van with headlights beaming towards the scene. This activity drew attention to others who came to investigate. 

“A loud crash was then heard from the garden as the shed roof gives way and Smith fell inside. Smith then becomes irate and the property owner suspects Smith of being under the influence of something and ejects Smith from his property and he is arrested by police shortly afterwards.”

Steven Young, defending, said that all three offences were connected. He said: “Smith went out on the evening March 12, and drank a lot of alcohol and during this time he was contacted by somebody who had a grudge against him because of his previous burglary conviction. 

“He was warned that they would be looking for him in order to beat him because they believe he was the perpetrator of a burglary. He states he hadn’t initially armed himself with a knife, but later admits that he did have it in his possession.

“After the fight finishes Smith then tries to hide from the two men because he felt scared of any repercussions. This is effectively what happened. 

“Smith effectively returned to alcohol after his brother died while he was in prison. He has since been diagnosed with a number of mental health issues. However whilst being in custody, he has become an enhanced prisoner with additional privileges and has completed a number of drug courses.”

Smith pleaded guilty to threatening others with a bladed article, affray and criminal damage on the night of March 12, 2024.

The judge, Recorder Richard Mawhinney told Smith that the wielding of a knife could potentially cause significant harm to an individual. 

“Fortunately, in this case, the knife did not come into contact with anybody and no injury was caused by it,” the judge said.

“It was effectively taken out of the conflict by one of the two men you were attacking when he disposed of it down a drain. 

“You were clearly the aggressor, but whether this was due to your drunken state at the time, is unclear. 

“You had been released just four weeks previously, on parole or licence, having served time for a burglary and ram-raiding a jewellery shop in Lydney.

“I have however, been impressed by your rehabilitation whilst you’ve been in custody.Your prison sentence is 16 months, but I am not in a position to suspend it due to your past because of your poor compliance with court orders, despite showing signs of positive rehabilitation in prison. 

“It is not realistic therefore to order compensation given the background and the immediate prison term.”