Armed police arrested a 47-year-old man after he was seen walking through a Pembrokeshire village carrying a crossbow and arrows. Richard Probert was on Angle Road in Monkton, near Pembroke, on Saturday, August 15, when concerned members of the public alerted police.
When officers arrived, Probert was sitting on a wall in possession of the bow and arrows. He dropped the items when ordered to do so by armed police before being handcuffed at the scene and arrested, prosecution barrister Abdul Hussain told a sentencing hearing at Swansea Crown Court on Friday.
Incident Details and Court Proceedings
Mr Hussain added that Probert did not point the crossbow at anyone during the incident. In mitigation, defence barrister Megan Williams said her client had a “lack of understanding of how his actions could be perceived”, adding that he accepts that simply being in possession of the weapon could have alarmed the public.
The court was told that Probert has a history of mental health problems including schizophrenia. Probert, of Gwilliam Court, Monkton, previously pleaded guilty to having an article with a blade or a point in a public place.
Sentencing and Probation Requirement
Recorder Ben Blakemore told Probert: “I appreciate the bow was not loaded and the arrows were not fired. Being in public with any sort of weapon is very serious. It needs to be extremely clear to you that having any sort of weapon in public is not acceptable.”
Recorder Blakemore made Probert subject to a probation requirement as part of a 12-month community order.
