No jail for man who threatened ex with pepper spray

Gareth Jones, 43, from Shrewsbury, was arrested after the incident which happened in the town on April 21.

He admitted possessing a prohibited weapon without authority, namely a noxious liquid, and admitted assaulting Joanne Harley at a previous hearing.

Mr David Bruce, prosecuting, said Jones had pleaded guilty to both offences on the basis that the pepper spray was not discharged during the incident.

He accepted that he pushed the victim who was his former partner, but did not punch her during the altercation outside a house in the town.

He said: “There was a row in the street and some very bad language was used. The defendant got very aggressive and during that argument he pushed Joanne Harley and that is the common assault offence.

“At some point he had the spray in his thumbs and used it as a threat.”

The hearing at Shrewsbury Crown Court heard that Jones, of Albert Road, had 18 previous convictions including for violence, possession of a blade and possession of a prohibitive weapon dating to the 1990s.

Mr Paul Smith, mitigating barrister, said the defendant should be given full credit for his timely guilty pleas.

Judge Tindal told Jones that he would allow him credit and was suspending the prison term due to the “significant gap” in his offending history.

Jones was sentenced to 12 months custody, suspended for two years, 20 rehabilitation days, 29 behaviour management sessions, and ordered him to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

“You are someone who has a long criminal record from when you were younger, including for violence,” the judge said.

He also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the cannister.