Cardiff: Man bangs on neighbour's door with a gun

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Chilling footage shows a man bang on his neighbour’s door with an imitation firearm.

The terrifying incident was the culmination of years of harassment which left the victim feeling “absolutely petrified”.

Mark Townsend, 59, armed himself with an air rifle and was caught on camera banging the butt of the gun against the door in an attempt to get inside in Rumney, Cardiff.

The victim watched on her phone as her neighbour of eight years brandished the weapon, Wales Online reports.

But Townsend was jailed this week for 13 months at Cardiff Crown Court after admitting possession of an imitation firearm and harassment with a view to causing serious harm and distress.

The footage, played in court, shows the defendant saying: “Move the back door, where’s he gone? Are you ok now? Don’t f****** come to the front door. He’s back is he? I’m coming through.”

Roger Griffiths, prosecuting, said Townsend had knocked on the neighbour’s door several times previously, which led to the woman installing the camera. She could access it on her phone.

Police were called to an incident several weeks before the one from which footage was shared in court.

But the man continued to torment the victim and, on April 29, he armed himself with the air rifle and banged on the victim’s door.

The victim told the judge she had trouble sleeping and found it “impossible” to concentrate at work.

She added: “So many incidents have happened over the last few years, I cannot take it any more. It’s having a detrimental effect on my mental health and was I tearful when the police turned up. I am petrified about this man being released from custody and about what he will do to me. I cannot cope anymore and need help with this matter.”

Despite his guilty pleas, the defendant denied the offences to a probation officer. The court heard he has a previous conviction for a dissimilar offence from 38 years ago.

In addition to the jail term, he was also made subject to a restraining order preventing him from going within 100 metres of the victim, for five years.

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