Michael Balmont, 38, was sentenced to 10 months in prison at Cardiff Crown Court on June 25, 2026, after pleading guilty to possession of a bladed article in a public place. The incident occurred on April 2, 2026, when officers at Cathays Police Station spotted Balmont and another male on CCTV near Richard Street and Rhymney Terrace at 6am.
Incident Details
Prosecutor Tim Lewis told the court that officers observed Balmont entering a garden area behind the police station. When approached, Balmont was found carrying an axe, which he placed on the ground. He told officers he was being pursued by a drug dealer and had armed himself for protection. The court heard Balmont had been on a five-day extensive drug binge at the time.
Criminal History and Mitigation
Balmont, of Claude Road in Roath, has 47 previous convictions spanning a 25-year criminal career, primarily for acquisitive offending to fund a drug habit. However, this was his first arrest for possession of a weapon. Mitigating, Kevin Seal said Balmont had embraced rehabilitation while in custody, participating in courses and a 12-step programme. He argued that Balmont acted out of drug-induced paranoia, offered no violence, and was relieved to be taken into custody to escape the imagined threat.
Sentencing
Recorder Simon Hughes noted Balmont's appalling record and the fact that he was subject to a suspended sentence for burglary and shoplifting at the time. He imposed a 10-month custodial sentence and ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the axe. The judge emphasized the seriousness of carrying a weapon in public, even under paranoid delusions.
