Children screamed in terror as a drunk Tenby man leapt on to their car smashing their windscreen after a day out in the resort.

Cheyne Lloyd-Neal, 24, currently of no fixed abode, appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates on Wednesday, July 17.

He pleaded guilty to two criminal damage charges and using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

Sian Vaughan, prosecuting, said Lloyd-Neal punched a gambling machine and pulled in a Tenby betting shop, then damaged a sign while leaving causing a total of £130 of damage on February 10.

A couple were driving along Upper Frog Street with their children in their car after a day out in Tenby, when they spotted Lloyd-Neal staggering up the road in front of them.

Miss Vaughan said: “They could hear him shouting and roaring and formed the view he was drunk or on drugs because he was stumbling along.”

Lloyd-Neal turned aggressively to face the car and jumped directly onto the windscreen causing it to smash instantly.

He then began gesturing at the car to drive at him. The terrified family was assisted by a member of the public who ushered them into a nearby shop.

One of the family members stated they had come to Tenby for a nice day out and were disgusted by Lloyd-Neal’s behaviour, which had terrified the children in the car.

“His actions were completely unprovoked. The children were distressed and screaming in terror.”

Jonathan Webb, defending, said Lloyd-Neal could not remember a lot of the incident due to his level of intoxication.

“There was an issue regarding a gambling machine and it was pulled over, it was working within hours afterwards, the damage was caused to plasterboard and a socket behind.”

He added: “He did not set out to cause distress to these people, he had never seen them before. He wishes to apologise for his actions. It is something that should not have happened.”

The court heard that there was an ‘element of self-harm’ involved in the incident, as there was a suggestion that Lloyd-Neal wanted the car to hit him.

Mr Webb said: “He would not have known that there were children in the back of the car, and would not have targeted it for that reason.”

The court heard that Lloyd-Neal, who was currently living in a tent in Tenby, was subject to a community order.

The bench was told Lloyd-Neal’s recent holiday in Ibiza spiralled downhill when he was assaulted and robbed of his passport, phone and clothes, and he had to be assisted by the British Embassy in order to return to Wales last week.

Magistrates revoked Lloyd-Neal’s current order and imposed a 12-month community order with a 20-day rehabilitation activity and 75 hours of unpaid work. He was ordered to pay £450 in compensation, costs and a surcharge.