Former student who threatened to kill college learners in online video sentenced

A former Merthyr Tydfil College student who threatened to “stab, cut and slice” staff ans current learners in a video uploaded to YouTube has been handed a suspended prison sentence.

Oliver Beynon, 21, from Fochriw, uploaded the threat video last August, days before more than 2,200 students were due to start a new term.

Prosecutor Byron Broadstock said Beynon’s own father called police after learning of the video and he was arrested at home.

Describing the video, Mr Broadstock said Beynon “is wearing a fedora hat and facemask and is speaking to the camera.

“He is making threats to cut, stab, slice persons within Merthyr College, threatening to kill them.

“It was posted by somebody who calls themselves ‘the Welshman’.”

In the footage, Beynon says: “In September, not this week, next week, I’m just going to kill every people in Merthyr College, Merthyr Tydfil College in South Wales.

“I’m going to stab, cut, slice, and open their insides out. Blood, guts, even bones.

“They will be killed by God – me The Welshman, and just kill whoever I want.

“Just stab their eyes, their tongues, their throats, because I could do everything I wanted.”

Mr Broadstock said Beynon, who has autism, had previously attended the college – and was wearing a facemask bearing its logo in the video – and had been bullied while studying a life skills course.

He said the footage had caused “panic” in the local Merthyr community, and when police arrested Beynon they found other threat videos on his phone.

Mr Broadstock said: “The defendant fully admitted that he had posted the videos. He said he had been suffering from mental health problems.

“He said that the video escalated so quick he didn’t expect it. He said he regretted the video.”

Cardiff Crown Court heard Beynon spent the “vast majority” of his time confined to his room watching YouTube videos or gaming and did not leave the house.

Beynon admitted sending communication threatening death or serious harm.

Alice Sykes, defending, said Beynon was “clearly somebody who is suffering greatly with his mental health and diagnosed with autism.”

Beynon appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday February 11. Judge, recorder Christian Jowett handed him a six-month sentence suspended for 18 months and banned him from attending an area around Merthyr Tydfil College.