Black Country knifeman 'threatened to rape and kill a woman at random'

Convicted stalker Matthew Jones was said to have made the threats in a phone call to a probation officer, who alerted the police.

Officers rushed to the source of the call and found Jones in a telephone box in Anglesey Road, Cannock, said Miss Jabeen Akhtar, prosecuting at Stafford Crown Court.

She said that in his phone call to the probation office Jones said he wanted to find a woman to rape and kill and that he had a 12 inch knife.

The court heard that Jones had a string of previous convictions including a number for harassment and stalking in which the victims were women.

When officers arrived at the scene of the drama on March 21 this year they found Jones blocking the door with his body.

However the court was told that the officers managed to get inside and arrest the defendant without anyone getting hurt.

Jones was asked where the knife was and he pointed to a bag he had with him. Inside was a knife with an ten-inch blade. When asked about the weapon, Jones said 'he intended to use the knife to stab people and then became verbally abusive towards the officers,' said Miss Akhtar.

He was taken to St George's hospital in Stafford to be assessed and was found fit to be questioned, but refused to be interviewed.

Jones, aged 44, of Campion Court, Tipton admitted possessing a blade in a public place.

Mr Neil Gerrity, defending, said Jones denied making those specific threats about women.

"The knife was in the bag, it wasn't produced; when spoken to by the police he put the bag on the floor."

Recorder Miss Abigail Nixon jailed him for two years and said: "Whatever was said, you made nasty, frightening threats to probation that caused them to call the police. There are concerns about your stalking behaviour and possession of weapons.

"You do have a real potential for violence against woman."

She added: "The threats were clearly taken seriously by the police. I note with concern you consider yourself to be dangerous."