A senior judge has sharply criticized North Wales Police after an alleged rapist, who threatened to "chop" his accuser "into little pieces," was released on bail and subsequently armed himself with a knife. Judge Simon Mills, the senior circuit judge in North Wales, demanded an explanation, stating there appeared to be a "wholesale failure" in the case.
Martin Edwards, 41, was arrested in March 2026 following a rape allegation. While in custody, he reportedly stated, "I'm not having her saying I raped her" and "as soon as I get out of here on bail I am going to find her and chop her into little pieces." He also threatened to "bury her." Despite these threats, he was released on bail.
Shortly after his release, Edwards armed himself with a large kitchen knife and went to an address, intending to attack the accuser. A former soldier living nearby intervened, calmed Edwards, and removed the knife after being alerted by a "threat to life" report. The court heard there was a 24-hour delay before police attended the scene and recovered the "potential murder weapon."
The neighbor who intervened formally complained about the delay, stating it affected his confidence in emergency services responding to immediate threats. Judge Mills commended the neighbor, calling him "very public-spirited" and stating he "quite possibly saved the target of Mr Edwards' behaviour from serious harm."
Edwards, who has 36 previous offenses including for violence, admitted making death threats, affray, and possessing a knife in public. His defense counsel mentioned he suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, which affected his perception of slights.
No further action was taken regarding the initial rape allegation. Judge Mills sentenced Edwards to three years and eight months in prison for the subsequent offenses. He also added five years to his license period and imposed a 15-year restraining order, deeming Edwards "very dangerous."
"A person alleging rape needs to be protected and shouldn't have people free to walk from a police station having said to a police officer 'I am going to kill them,'" Judge Mills stated, emphasizing his need for assurance that such an incident would not recur. North Wales Police were approached for comment.