A 'DRUNKEN bully' threatened to burn down a rural Radnorshire guesthouse after being asked to leave.

Roland Oliver, 42, was jailed for 16 months by Judge Rhys Rowlands at Mold Crown Court on Thursday (October 7) after telling the owners of the rural guesthouse he would kill them, before leading police on a car chase.

Oliver had previously admitted a total of four charges, including threatening behaviour and racially aggravated threatening behaviour – in which he unleashed anti-Welsh slurs during a rant at a bed and breakfast near the remote village of Abbeycwmhir, Llandrindod Wells – in addition to dangerous driving and drink driving.

But Judge Rowlands said he “profoundly disagreed” with a Crown Prosecution Service decision to charge Oliver with threatening behaviour instead of threats to kill – which he said limited his sentencing powers.

Prosecutor Simon Parry said at about 10.30pm the woman who ran the B&B with her mother had gone to the defendant’s room after she’d heard him shouting.

“He claimed to be laughing at the TV, but the TV in the room was switched off,” said Mr Parry.

“He told her there were no other guests he was disturbing. She told him it was only her and her mother in the property; it was at that point he became emboldened, puffing his chest out and becoming aggressive."

The defendant was told to leave but refused.

“He said he’d burn the house down, would kill her, her mother and their dog,” said Mr Parry.

The woman's uncle then arrived and was abused by 42-year-old Oliver, who called him a “Welsh sheeps*****r”.

“The defendant came downstairs, carrying eight plastic bags containing alcohol,” added Mr Parry.

“He made continual threats, telling the victim he was going to come back and kill her. He said he would come back and burn the house down. He also said he would get someone to come back and rape them.”

After leaving the property, Oliver then led police officers who had been called to the property on a chase along narrow lanes in the vicinity.

Mr Parry said Oliver made contact with two police vehicles, dislodging his own hub cap and wing mirror before driving down a dead end road towards a farm, and damaging a fence when he realised there was no exit.

One officer smashed a window of the van with his baton, but the defendant fled again before officers eventually managed to stop and arrest him. A reading showed Oliver was twice the legal drink live limit.

Elen Owen, acting for Oliver, said her client, of Fairhome Road, Norwich, had been staying at the address for four nights previously without incident.

“This was a very frightening incident but apart from the shouting, he used no violence and didn’t damage any property,” she said.

“He was between addresses and was in the process of moving to live in North Wales after period of instability. He is on anti-psychotic medication but hadn’t been able to get it in the days leading up to this incident as he wasn’t registered with a GP.

“He is genuinely very sorry for the way he behaved.”

Oliver was jailed for four months for the threatening behaviour towards the first victim and another four months for the racially aggravated behaviour towards her uncle, to be served concurrently. He was also jailed for 12 months for dangerous driving, to be served consecutively; therefore he will serve a total sentence of 16 months.

He was disqualified from driving for 44 months and was also served with a five-year restraining order, banning him from going within five miles of Abbeycwmhir or contacting or posting comments about the guesthouse or its occupants.

Judge Rowlands told Oliver: “It is important you and others understand why the sentence can be nowhere near as long as I feel your actions merit.

“Your behaviour was not out of character. You have 10 convictions for 22 previous offences, including causing grievous bodily harm with intent, for which you were sentenced to 19 months prison in 2013.

“I am told you are genuinely sorry but the approach the court prefers is that you were a controlling, drunken bully. Four months is a fraction of the sentence you richly deserve but which I am unable to give you.”