CCTV footage shows the chilling moment a man pulled out a "10-inch kitchen knife" on a North Wales shopkeeper.
Christopher Steven Bell, of Marcliffe Drive in Manchester, appeared before Mold Crown Court on Monday after admitting theft and making threats with a blade in a public place.
The charges date back to an incident on August 12, 2021, when Bell and his then partner Paris Davies were staying at a caravan park in Towyn, North Wales Live reports.
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The footage released by the Crown Prosecution Service shows 32-year-old Bell and Davies in an altercation with shop staff outside a North Wales convenience store.
The court heard staff confronted the pair after CCTV footage showed Davies passing "several items" to Bell who then left the shop without paying.
A heated argument broke out outside the Premier Store on Towyn Road after the couple's sneaky theft was caught on camera.
The terrifying footage shows a physical altercation between Bell and members of shop staff, as Bell is pushed out of the shop.
Bell is seen attempting to pick up a box of beer but this is pushed out of his hands, causing the bottles inside to smash on the ground.
Within seconds, Bell lunges towards a male shop assistant and pulls out a large kitchen knife from the waistband of his trousers.
He is seen reaching down his right side before pulling out what was described in court as a "10-inch kitchen knife" and pointing it in the direction of the Towyn shopkeeper.
The court heard Bell threatened the man, saying "I'll use this" while wielding the blade.
The chaotic footage also shows Davies throwing a glass bottle which "narrowly" missed the store manager's head.
Davies was handed a suspended sentence for her role in the incident in a separate hearing in Manchester.
However, Judge Niclas Parry said the same liberty could not be given to Bell and jailed him for 16 months for his "disgraceful" actions.
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