St Helens Park resident Aydan Bowman learns fate after slashing tyre at Mt Annan

A minor traffic prang proved to be the trigger for a chaotic episode in which one man slashed another man’s tyre and held a knife to stop being restrained by the victims, a court has heard.

Aydan Rhys Bowman slashed a man’s tyre at Mount Annan.

A minor traffic prang proved to be the trigger for a chaotic episode in which one man slashed another man’s tyre and held a knife to stop being restrained by the victims, a court has heard.

St Helens Park man Aydan Rhys Bowman, 29, fronted Picton Local Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to intimidation and damaging property.

Court documents show on May 8, Bowman and another man were involved in a minor traffic collision. Bowman, who works as a rigger, got the other driver’s details who then left the scene out of concern it could turn physical.

Three days later, the man was standing outside a property at Mt Annan with his apprentices when Bowman parked behind his vehicle and walked over.

He asked the man, “Why did you call the cops?” and said, “You better go through insurance.”

Aydan Rhys Bowman.

Soon an argument started and Bowman moved his car to block the man and his employees from leaving. A short physical altercation then took place involving Bowman before the man involved in the collision days earlier stepped in to break it up.

Bowman then grabbed a knife from his car and slashed a tyre of the man’s car.

The man and one of the apprentices followed Bowman back to his car and grabbed him while another worker filmed the incident where Bowman is heard yelling, “I have a knife”.

The two men let go of Bowman who went to leave the scene in his car. However, he got out of the car again holding a knife after his vehicle was kicked.

He then sped off and went to the police station while the victim called police.

Bowman admitted to police he used his Leatherman multi-tool knife feature to slash the tyre but said he left the scene after they kicked his doors.

When the officer showed Bowman the footage of him emerging from the car with his knife, he said “Jesus Christ” and did not remember that occurring.

Magistrate David Degnan slammed Bowman for his behaviour and said he was “confrontational” from the beginning of his interaction.

He said the group were within their right to pursue and apprehend him.

“You are the instigator of acts of violence,” Mr Degnan said.

“You are heard to say I have a knife … not only that you were confirming that you were armed with a knife … but telling them words to the effect of ‘you better leave me alone because I’ve got a knife’.”

Mr Degnan said the offence had crossed the threshold of imprisonment, but a jail sentence in the community could be served.

Bowman was sentenced to a nine-month intensive correction order, fined $2000 and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service. He lodged a severity appeal shortly after being convicted.