A man has admitted putting barbed wire across a remote forest cycle path.
David Roberts, of Trefnant in Denbighshire, North Wales, was found guilty of attempted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and ordered to attend a “thinking skills” course after he entered a guilty plea on Wednesday.
Llandudno Magistrates Court heard how the 50-year-old left 10 feet of rusty barbed wire at chest height wrapped around tree branches in Clocaenog forest near the market town of Denbigh after an altercation with a speeding motorcyclist.
Mr Roberts was handed a 12-month community order, Wales Online reports, with a three-month 7pm to 7am curfew. He was ordered to pay £170 in costs.
Prosecutor James Neary said Natural Resources Wales, a government sponsored body working on sustainability, happened to have covert cameras in the area to monitor wildlife, which caught Mr Roberts setting the trap.
Mr Neary told the court Mr Roberts was left "livid" by the argument with the biker.
“The motorcyclist had kicked his dog and the defendant lost his temper," the prosecutor said.
But the defendant claimed his intention was to stop the motorcyclist not injure them.
“He claimed it was his intention not to hurt [anyone],” Mr Neary added.
“He wanted to slow the motorcyclist. He was livid about the altercation.
“Fortunately for the defendant no-one was hurt. It really could have been far more serious.”
A mountain biker reported the wire after coming within three feet of it while peddling slowly uphill.
“If he came the other way he would have impacted with the wire,” Mr Neary said.
Mr Roberts solicitor, Dafydd Roberts, said his client “just can’t believe what he did and why he did it".
The defendant had been walking his dog in remote forest when the motorcyclist approached at speed and almost hit him, he said.
There was a row, the rider kicked Mr Roberts’ dog and drove away.
Mr Roberts placed the wire “in anger”.
He returned to the site 20 days later, the court heard, and was caught on camera.
Rob Taylor, manager of the North Wales police rural crime team, told Wales Online: “It was a stroke of luck he was caught because there were wildlife cameras there.
“An act as reckless as this could have had dire consequences if a cyclist or horse rider came into contact.
“Luckily the rider was going the other way. It could have had devastating consequences.”
The lawyer said his client was an unemployed handyman with mental health problems.
“He’s extremely sorry. It was an extremely foolish thing to do,” Mr Roberts said. “It’s an unusual case.”
