A MAN jailed for 10 years over a pub stabbing is back behind bars for being armed with a knife and carrying out a dirty protest.

Newport Crown Court heard how police were called after Gareth Willetts, 46, had threatened a woman at a bus stop on Caerphilly’s Cardiff Road.

Prosecutor William Bebb said officers found a utility knife and cannabis on the defendant on July 21.

Willetts had then defecated in his cell at Ystrad Mynach police station following his arrest.

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He pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon, possession of cannabis and criminal damage.

The defendant, of no fixed abode, had previous convictions involving knives and weapons.

In 2010, Willetts was sent to prison for wounding with intent at the Pontygwindy pub in Caerphilly.

Mr Bebb said: “He stabbed his victim with a knife in the beer garden.

“The complainant suffered a punctured lung and the defendant was jailed for 10 years.”

Willetts had been sent to prison for six months this January after he admitted having an offensive weapon – a screwdriver – in public in Caerphilly.

In all, he has 38 previous various convictions for 71 offences.

Vaughan Britton, representing the defendant, said his client had struggled to put a permanent roof over his head since his recent release from jail.

Willetts was sometimes able to find temporary bed and breakfast accommodation but had recently bought a tent to live in.

In mitigation, Mr Britton added: “He did not brandish the knife last month and he entered immediate guilty pleas at the magistrates’ court.”

Judge Michael Fitton QC jailed Willetts for seven months for possession of an offensive weapon and one month consecutively for criminal damage.

There was no separate penalty for possession of cannabis.

The total sentence was eight months imprisonment with the defendant having to serve half that term in jail.

Willetts will have to pay a victim surcharge following his release from custody.