Ex-Footballer Jailed for Threatening Neighbour with Knife in Cardiff
A former Cardiff City player has been sentenced for threatening a neighbour with a knife after a cigarette request escalated.
Cardiff, Wales, Benjamin Savage, Knife Threat, Football
Cardiff: A former pro footballer lost his cool and threatened a neighbour with a knife. It all started when the neighbour asked him for a cigarette. Savage got really angry and shouted, “If you come near my door I’ll f****** stab you.”
Benjamin Savage, 47, used to play for Cardiff City and Southampton, but his career took a nosedive after an injury. On August 24 last year, he was living in a flat in Cardiff when the incident happened.
The court heard that the neighbour posted a note under Savage’s door asking for a smoke. Later, the neighbour heard banging and saw Savage waving a six-inch knife through the letterbox. It was a scary moment for him, and he had to move his leg to avoid getting cut.
When the police arrived, Savage went back to his flat. He was arrested and later pleaded guilty to affray. The court found out he had a long list of previous convictions, including assault and battery.
In court, his lawyer explained that Savage was once a professional footballer, but a serious injury in 2009 changed everything. He fell from a church roof while working as a roofer, which led to him using painkillers and eventually turning to drugs. He even became homeless for a while.
However, his lawyer mentioned that he had been trying to turn his life around in the last four years, finding a place to live and starting a methadone programme.
Judge Vanessa Francis said the whole situation must have been terrifying for the neighbour and called Savage’s actions irresponsible. He was sentenced to eight months in prison and given a restraining order for three years.
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