A WARRANT was yesterday issued for the arrest of a convicted rapist who produced a 2ft machete in front of terrified neighbours.

Simon Forward, 43, knocked on the door of Rachel Watkins with the weapon in his hand and asked to see her partner, a court heard.

He left the flat in Pontypool when she told him he was not in but said to her: “I’ll be back”, leaving her in a state of panic, Cwmbran Magistrates’ Court heard.

A friend of hers, Jodie Phelps, also saw Forward with the weapon in its sheath from a window inside the flat.

Forward, of Meadowbrook Avenue, Pontnewydd, was yesterday due to stand trial for illegally possessing a knife blade but told his solicitor Paul Morris he was in hospital with a spine injury after a car crash.

However, enquiries showed he had made a “deliberate attempt” to deceive the court as police were not aware of the accident - and he was found guilty of the charge in his absence.

Records showed he had 20 convictions dating back to 1987 including rape, burglary, shoplifting, assault and a threat to kill, the court heard.

Giving evidence, Ms Watkins said she had “panicked” after seeing Forward with the weapon in his hand at the flat in Kemys Fawr Close, Sebastopol, Pontypool, on April 25, 2013.

Judge David Parsons said the incident had caused “grave concern”

to Ms Watkins and her friend Jodie Phelps.

He told the court yesterday: “This placed them in very grave fear.

“If the defendant was here today, I would commit him to crown court for sentence.

“The previous convictions are an aggravated feature.

“I issue a warrant for his arrest without bail.”

Forward vanished for four days after the incident before giving himself up, the court heard.

He denied holding a machete and told police he was carrying a copy of the South Wales Argus in his hand.

He told Mr Morris he was in hospital following a car accident outside Cwmbran Police Station on Friday.