A WREXHAM man who terrified a mum and children on a train by talking to them about murder has been jailed.
Anton De Gennaro, of Bryn Hafod, appeared at Wrexham Magistrates Court on Tuesday afternoon via video link from HMP Berwyn.
The 55-year-old had previously admitted numerous offences, including possession of a bladed article, two assaults, threatening behaviour and obstructing a police officer.
Prosecutor Rhian Jackson told the court the first offence in time was the bladed article incident, which happened on July 15.
During this offence, De Gennaro approached a man who was waiting at a bus stop in Wrexham at around 6am.
He asked the man a series of unusual questions, including whether he had any scars on his face, and made statement such as: "I've got scars - one of the bad ones did it to me."
De Gennaro then told the man: "Police took my hammer, but I've still got something," before stepping back and rolling up his trouser leg to reveal what appeared to be a concealed knife - but later turned out to be a pointed file.
Ms Jackson said the man felt threatened, as De Gennaro was acting unpredictably, and also picked up a bottle, telling him: "I might need this for later."
The next incident happened on a train from Wrexham General to Liverpool in July, when De Gennaro sat near a woman and her two children.
He again engaged in strange conversation, and went on to tell the horrified mum he'd "murdered someone" and "cut someone's hand off."
Ms Jackson said the woman was terrified of the defendant and the incident made her extremely scared about using rail services.
The next offence happened on August 2, when De Gennaro assaulted a man named Callum White at Grove Guest House in Wrexham.
He told the victim to "f*** off" and charged at him with clenched fists, throwing a punch.
On that same day, De Gennaro gave abuse to a man in Co-op in King Street, telling him: "F*** off - I'm going to get two f****** hammers and do you."
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And when approached by police later that day, he was aggressive and resisted arrest.
Sharley Potter, defending, told the court her client had been carrying the pointed file around "for protection" after receiving abuse from people in the community.
"He doesn't seek to minimise his behaviour," she added.
"Mr De Gennaro has suffered with significant drug issues in the past.
"He is hopeful that whilst in custody, he has been medicated properly and he feels so much better since being on it.
"He hopes he will be able to abstain from drug use on his release.
"His last period of supervised probation work was in 2014 - so he hasn't had any rehabilitation in the community since then."
The court jailed De Gennaro for a total of six months and ordered him two pay two lots of £85 costs, as well as a £154 victim surcharge.
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