A man unprovokedly attacked a postman in the street and slashed him with a knife. Darren Perry challenged a postal worker to a fight before pulling out a gun and slashing his victim.

A week after the attack, the accused was detained in a park by armed police after he was seen taking a knife from his backpack. The judge told the 29-year-old that, knowing he had caused the bodily harm with the knife, he went out in public again a few days later with the knife.

In a statement to Swansea Crown Court, the postman who was attacked by Perry said he had always enjoyed his job and the interaction with the public it generated, and said the experience of being attacked by a stranger was “very upsetting”. According to him, when he saw that the attacker had a knife, he was afraid that his children would be left without a father.

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Caitlin Brazel, prosecuting, said the attack took place on Eagle Street in Port Talbot town center at lunchtime on October 28 this year. He said Perry and the postman “made eye contact” as they walked down the street and the defendant asked the Royal Mail employee why he was looking at him. The postman said he doesn’t take off, he just delivers letters. The court heard Perry challenged the man to a fight; When the postman told him that he would not fight with him, the defendant threw himself at the victim and a “fight” ensued. Miss Brazel said that during the argument the defendant took a pocket knife from his pocket and hit the postman, cutting off his ear. Perry then fled and the matter was reported to police. The postman suffered bruises to his face and knees, as well as a wound to his left ear that needed to be bandaged.

A week after the attack, a woman living in nearby George Street saw a man outside her home taking a knife from his backpack. From the images that circulated on the internet, the woman recognized the man as the possible perpetrator of the previous incident and called the police. Armed officers searched the area and found Perry in Port Talbot Memorial Park. During the search, a Stanley knife, a hammer and a bag of food waste containing 15.6 grams of cocaine were found in his backpack. The defendant subsequently responded “no comment” to all questions asked during the interview. For the latest court reports, subscribe to our crime newsletter here

In a statement from the postman, read in court, he said he always enjoyed his work and the interaction with the public it generated, and said the experience of being confronted and attacked by a stranger on the street was “very disturbing”. “. He said that when he saw that the attacker had a knife, he feared that he would die and that his children would lose their father, and said that the stress and sleepless nights caused by the incident left him “physically and emotionally exhausted”. The attack affected every aspect of his life and he said no one should live in fear.

Darren Boyd Perry, of Commercial Road, Taibach, Port Talbot, previously pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm, two counts of possessing knives and possession of cocaine when he appeared in the dock to be sentenced. No previous convictions. Andrew Evans, for Perry, said that despite the defendant’s lack of previous convictions, the pre-sentence report “raised more questions than it answered” and noted that the Probation Service had not offered an alternative to custodial sentences.

Judge Catherine Richards said it was worrying that, knowing he had inflicted the stabbing on October 28, the defendant was back in public with the knife days later. He said the starting point for sentencing for a knife attack should always be custody and said that in this case the Probation Service was unable to offer any alternative to immediate custody.

With a one-third discount for pleading guilty, the defendant was sentenced to 16 months in prison, including 12 months in the October cases and two months for repeated possession of the knife. No separate penalty was imposed for ordinary possession of cocaine. Perry will serve up to half of the 14 months in prison before being released to serve the remainder in the community. Judge Richards told Perry that he would hopefully realize there were professions that could help him deal with the issues that led to his offending.

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