A man tried to steal a classic car worth thousands in Knighton, before threatening its owner with a screwdriver, when it cut out near the cenotaph

Craig Frazer said he had overdosed on his medication when he got in his Megane vehicle and came across the classic car while driving around.

The 52 year-old told Llandrindod Wells Magistrates Court that he used to steal cars when he was 16 or 17 and when he saw Robert Davies’ yellow Escort Mk2 RS2000 he had a ‘flashback’ and thought he would ‘give it a go’.

Frazer of Garth Meadows admitted stealing the Escort from Wylcwm Street on December 29 2024, previously.

But he denied threatening a person with a blade or sharply pointed article in a public place. After a trial on Tuesday, he was found guilty of that offence.

A further offence of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place was withdrawn.

Giving evidence Mr Davies said he parked his classic car outside his friend’s house on private land off Station Road and he went to the Horse and Jockey Pub.

At about 11.10pm he was in one of the pub bedrooms when his partner heard his car starting up. Mr Davies said he looked out of the window and could not see anyone and the car had not moved.

But just 10 seconds later he heard the car starting up again and he saw it being reversed into Station Road. He ran down and it went past him.

He went back inside to get properly dressed and he chased after his car which was fitted with a switch to stop the fuel reaching the carburetor. It came to a stop just after the cenotaph

Mr Davies told the court that he ran up to the driver’s door and opened it and Frazer had a screwdriver in his right hand.

“He looked towards me and threatened me. I can’t remember the exact words but it was either ‘I will stab you’ or ‘I will kill you’”, he said.

Mr Davies said Frazer pointed the screwdriver towards him and as an ex-serviceman his main concern was to remove the screwdriver from his hand.

He said he dragged Frazer out of the car and onto the floor and he kicked the screwdriver, which was still in Frazer’s hand, and it went under the car. He said Frazer was lying on the floor and after a struggle he was in a recovery position being restrained.

He said first responders on a Christmas night out came and put a coat or a jumper under Frazer’s head and then the ambulance and the police arrived.

The next morning he said he saw what he believed was Frazer’s Megane parked nearby with a similar screwdriver set, part of a scaffolding pipe, disposal gloves etc in it and he waited with it until the police arrived.

Frazer under cross-examination by prosecutor James Sprunks said he had gone for a drive around even though he had overdosed on his medication.

He said when he saw the yellow Escort it was a flashback to his childhood and he thought he would try and steal it but it cut out.

Frazer claimed he did not have a screwdriver in his hand to threaten Mr Davies but he was trying to close the window as he saw Mr Davies approaching. But then he admitted to using part of a scaffolding pole to break the ignition and then a blue screwdriver to start the car.

He said he could not remember parts of what happened but he denied threatening Mr Davies with the screwdriver.

He said he would like to think he is an honest person even though he was convicted of attempting to pervert the course of justice 20 years ago and has 39 theft and similar convictions between 1998 and 2001.

He said: “I would like to think I have changed my life.”

Mr Sprunks said Frazer claimed he was an honest person, until he saw the classic car and then he became a dishonest person.

Magistrates said they believed Frazer had threatened Mr Davies with a screwdriver.

They adjourned the case until October 28 for pre-sentence reports to be prepared and said all options would remain open.