A SERIAL offender who called a detective “a dead man walking” before a drugs trial involving his daughter has been jailed for 16 months.

Abdulla Taleb, 54, of Matherns Mill Fishery, Bailey’s Hayt, Mathern near Chepstow, confronted Detective Constable Barrie Redmond at Cardiff Crown Court, saying: “I know where you live.”

Police who arrested him next day found menacing notes on his phone, including the ‘dead man’ threat and one saying he would kill police “in an instant”.

The detective was the officer in charge of a drugs case, and was about to give evidence in the trial of Taleb’s daughter Kirsty Taleb-Williams six days before Christmas, when he was threatened inside the court building, Cardiff Crown Court was told.

She later admitted being involved in the supply of crack cocaine and is due for sentence on January 27.

Prosecutor Bethan Evans said of the confrontation: “The defendant was snarling, shouting aggressively and making threats, ‘Watch out, wait and see.’ He said he knew where the officer lived.

“DC Redmond said he was shocked, anxious and concerned for his safety.”

He and his colleagues later spoke to the defendant outside the courtroom, who winked at them and gave his name as John Jones.

Officers discovered his true identity, but decided not to arrest him at that point so as to not interfere with the ongoing trial.

When proceedings had finished for the day, Taleb shouted more abuse at the detective on the court steps.

Police arrested him next day and seized his mobile phone which had a note written on it saying: “Do you know the best Gwent Police officer? I do. A f****** dead one.

“I’m not safe around any police officer – I will kill in an instant.

“Barrie Redmond of Newport CID is a dead man walking.”

Another note said he would “send some boys up his house” and “he’s finished”.

The court was told that Taleb’s record of offending totalled 35 convictions for 62 offences, including weapons, violence and drugs.

One conviction involved grabbing his mother by the throat and spitting in her face.

Kevin Seal, for Taleb, said he lived in a caravan in a field and suffered declining mental health.

He described the threats as “the ramblings of a man who was, and remains, deeply depressed and he’s currently on the mental health wing at Cardiff Prison”.

“He wants to apologise through me to the officer for the disrespect he showed,” he said.

But jailing him for 16 months, the Recorder of Cardiff Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said: “You have a long-standing hostility towards the police and for this officer in particular… This was a deliberate decision by you to make threats. The officer has expressed concern for himself and his family.

“Those who threaten witnesses generally must understand it’s an extremely serious offence. In this case the threats are particularly serious as those threats took place inside and immediately outside the court building.”