‘He was banging on our front door’: Last night a man came to my house with a machete

Last night a man was seen walking between North Road and Vaenor Street wielding a machete. Police were called as shocked neighbours saw him walking around outside their houses, shouting. After some time he was detained by armed police.

“Armed police where there for an hour or so, talking to the guy, normal police were talking to him beforehand. He put the machete down in exchange for a cigarette from a negotiator the police had with them in the end” Robert Terrey, an Aberystwyth student, told The Tab.

Becca (not her real name, as she wishes to remain anonymous), a recent Aberystwyth Uni graduate, was in her home when she received a call at 9.30pm from a friend next door. She had called to say there was a man with a machete trying to get into her house. The man was allegedly looking for someone. She spoke exclusively to The Tab about her ordeal.

Becca says she heard something smash and hurried outside to confront him, and to make sure her friend was OK. He had smashed one of her windows with a machete.

He kept shouting he was looking for someone, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Becca says it took her “several minutes” to convince him that the person he was looking for wasn’t there: “As I was shouting at him I could see him getting scared and panicked and starting to back away from me.” She called the police and he told her his name was “Will”.

A photo posted to the Tab Aberystwyth page of the standoff

After the call Becca and the man in question started chatting in a “calm way”.

The police then arrived and stayed in the van parked at the end of the street, while he and Becca spoke.

Becca says: “Once my adrenaline had gone, once I started talking to him and didn’t feel the threat any longer, I started shaking. He then asked me if I was cold, and offered me his jacket, which I declined.”

Becca then asked him to put the machete down. She told him “he was scaring my mate”, and that she didn’t want the police to hurt him.

He apologised and assured her he wasn’t going to hurt anyone.

At this point he put the machete down and the police started to come out of the van. He reiterated that he wasn’t going to use it.

Later, Becca heard him asking the police to call his mother.

“By this time he was surrounded by policemen.”

He was then arrested. He appears to have been released on bail as he later posted a status update to Facebook.

The police asked to report any information on the incident using the 101 number or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.