A ‘significant nuisance’ to the people of Tenby has been jailed this afternoon for three years and four months.

Liam Mansbridge, aged 27, threatened to kill a potential witness in a court case and then terrified two women while armed with an air pistol.

Ian Wright, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court how Mansbridge, of Knowling Mead, had been found by Ciaran Keane hiding in the yard of his business premises in the town.

Mansbridge ran away and Mr. Keane found that the locks to two sheds had been forced and a tool box had been opened.

Although nothing had been stolen and Mansbridge was not charged with any offence, he was arrested and feared being prosecuted for burglary.

A few days later, Mansbridge approached Mr. Keane’s partner, Alexandra, as she walked towards Tenby primary school to collect her two sons.

Mansbridge swore at her and threatened to kill her partner if he gave evidence against him.

Mr. Wright said completely different offending followed.

On May 12, his ex-girlfriend Zoe Jenkins had been at the home of a friend, Rhian Butland, at Newell Hill, Tenby.

Mansbridge contacted her by mobile telephone and demanded to meet her. Miss Jenkins said ‘no,’ but shortly afterwards, the women could hear noises in the back garden and she received a message from Mansbridge threatening to break into the house.

Unknown to the women, added Mr. Wright, Mansbridge had been armed with an air pistol at the time.

Mansbridge was arrested nearby and on his way to the police station threatened to trace the arresting officer via Facebook and attack his wife and mother.

Mr. Wright said in the days following, Miss Butland discovered that Mansbridge had been into a shed where he had poured engine oil onto clothes he had removed from a tumble dryer and onto food from a freezer.

Mansbridge then contacted Miss Butland and offered to give her cannabis if she returned his air pistol.

Mr. Wright said that was the first anyone knew about him having been armed, but she did indeed find the gun in the shed.

Mansbridge, a carpenter, admitted witness intimidation, burglary and offering to supply drugs.

Judge Paul Thomas described Mansbridge as a significant nuisance to the locality.

“You thought you were being prosecuted for the burglary of business premises. You did not go up against the man, but instead approached his wife when she was picking up her children from school.

“These courts will always come down hard on people who threaten witnesses, particularly when it is done through a woman.

“Then you picked on two other women for particularly spiteful and despicable behaviour. It was particularly sinister that you had a firearm with you,” he added.

Judge Thomas also issued restraining orders preventing Mansbridge from contacting any of the women.