A MAN from Rhyl was jailed after pulling out a knife in front of a person who he also spat at while at a bar in the town.

Florin Ursu, 29, of East Parade, was sentenced to a year’s imprisonment at Caernarfon Crown Court today.

He had previously admitted assault by beating and possession of a bladed article in public.

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Prosecuting, Brett Williamson told the court that, at about 10pm on April 11, Ursu was at The Cove, a bar on Water Street, when he became “agitated”.

Ursu was “a little aggressive” and had to be ejected from the bar; at one point, he was slapping his own face while shouting.

He was pushed away by a member of the bar’s door staff, which caused him to stumble and fall to the ground.

Though he was helped back up to his feet, Ursu was then told to go home.

At about 2.30am on April 12, with closing time approaching, Ursu returned to the bar, with about half a dozen customers still at the premises.

A member of staff, Conner Poole, saw Ursu and immediately pushed him out of the door to the bar.

When outside of the doorway, Ursu pulled a knife out of his pocket and put it in his right hand.

As soon as he did that, both Mr Poole and his colleague, Sophie Bancroft, tackled Ursu and brought him to the ground

The knife came into contact with Mr Poole but he was uninjured.

Another member of door staff from a neighbouring bar also came to help, and while the three of them restrained Ursu on the ground, he spat directly into Mr Poole’s face.

After his arrest, Ursu mostly answered “no comment” in interview, though he accepted he had drank beer on the night in question.

In a statement, Mr Poole said he to take several days off work to “get over” the incident, and now wears a stab vest while at work.

Ursu, who had been remanded in custody since his arrest, had a previous conviction for biting the hand of a police officer.

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Defending, Elen Owen said Ursu has suffered mental health problems since his childhood.

He is prescribed medication to treat these, but has not been allowed to take this while in custody, she said.

Ms Owen said Ursu has “worked hard”, and at the time of the incident, was working at car washes in Prestatyn and Rhyl.

Ursu carried the knife to protect himself, she said, having been previously attacked while playing pool.

He did not hurt or threaten anybody with what he said was a “small kitchen knife”, Ms Owen added.

Ursu admitted he was drunk at the time, and was said to be anxious to pay Mr Poole compensation.

He attributed his behaviour that night to his “quick temper and mental health problems”.

Ms Owen added that he “really struggled” while in custody, losing some teeth and being unable to speak to his family, causing his mental health to further decline.

Sentencing, Judge Rhys Rowlands also ordered the deprivation and destruction knife which Ursu was carrying.

Spitting at Mr Poole was, Judge Rowlands told Ursu, a “quite disgusting thing to do”.

Judge Rowlands told him: “You should simply have gone home, but instead, you returned some time later, this time with a knife.

“You and others must realise that such behaviour isn’t going to be tolerated.

“Spitting at someone who is carrying out an important job by ensuring the safety of others is, by itself, so serious that it calls for immediate custody.

“The effect upon him (Mr Poole) has been serious.

“This is not a case where there are realistic prospects of rehabilitation.”