NORTH Wales Police will look to ban a homeless man from Wrexham town centre after he was found carrying a meat cleaver and kitchen knife.

Appearing from custody at North East Wales Magistrates’ Court, Michael Fon Williams, pleaded guilty to a Section 4 offence of threatening behaviour after he also attacked another homeless man in a separate incident.

Rhian Jackson, prosecuting, said the police received a call from a member of the public at around 9.20am on Sunday, May 19, reporting that a man was being beaten up outside the Lloyds Bank on Regent Street.

With the help of CCTV operators, officers found Williams and another man fighting in the street where it became clear from the footage that Williams, 51, was the aggressor.

Footage shown to the court showed him repeatedly punching the other man to the head and back several times, but the victim had refused to co-operate with officers.

In interview, Williams explained that he had been sleeping in the doorway of the nearby Waterstones bookstore while the other man had slept nearby.

When he had woken up, Williams had found that someone had gone through his pockets and taken money and he instantly suspected the other man who was known to him.

Ms Jackson said the second incident occurred close to Wrexham Library at around 3.55pm on June 21, when officers patrolling the town centre were alerted to the fact that a man was walking towards the area carrying knives.

When officers stopped Williams, they found he was carrying a holdall containing clothes as well as a large kitchen knife and a meat cleaver.

Williams told officers he used the knives to cut food, wood and cardboard and did not know it was an offence to carry them in a public place.

He had originally pleaded not guilty to the two offences, but after failing to attend a trial on July 15, the matters were proved in his absence and a warrant issued for his arrest.

A probation report from Jenny Roberts, said Williams was “very open and engaging” when discussing the incidents and had said he had just woken up when he discovered his money was missing.

Ms Roberts said he had added that “this is the way things tend to get sorted on the streets” and the other homeless man had actually returned the money to him.

As for the second offence, she said that Williams claimed he did not know it was an offence to carry knives as he had grown up in a rural community in Anglesey where it was normal to carry blades. He added that he would never consider using them in a violent manner and he had ended up in Wrexham because there was far more care available there for homeless people, including soup kitchens.

The father of three said he had used heroin for 30 years and had worked as a painter and decorator before becoming homeless although he now wanted to try and come off the drug.

Andy Holliday, defending, said Williams’ offences were carried out due to the “circumstances” he found himself in and he was actually at a low risk of harming others.

Chair of the bench, Major Michael James, said: “We accept you are probably not aware of the offence because of the life you have been leading son we will give you the benefit of the doubt.” Williams was given an 18 month community order with a 20 day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR).

He was also fined £80 and a victim surcharge of £85 and costs of £135.

He will return to Wrexham Magistrates’ Court on September 2, where the police will seek to impose a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) banning Williams from the town centre, a decision which Mr Holliday indicated would be contested.