A man cycled to an RAF base on Anglesey carrying a knife and an axe after calling the site and making threats to stab a guard, a court has heard.
David Mottershead phoned RAF Valley and spoke to staff about conspiracy theories before turning up at the base armed with weapons, in an incident that raised serious security concerns at one of Wales’s most significant military sites.
Mottershead made the threatening call to the base, telling staff he intended to stab a guard. Rather than staying away, he then got on his bike and rode to the site with a knife and an axe on him when he arrived.
RAF Valley, located near Holyhead on Anglesey, is one of the busiest fast jet bases in the UK and serves as a key training facility for military pilots. It is also the base where King Charles trained as a helicopter pilot during his time in the armed forces. Security at the site is taken extremely seriously given its strategic importance.
The fact that Mottershead had made explicit threats before arriving armed made the incident all the more alarming for those working at the base. Guards and security personnel at military sites across the UK are trained to deal with potential threats, but a direct phone warning followed by someone physically showing up with weapons is an unusual and deeply concerning sequence of events.
The case has been brought before the courts following his arrest at or near the base. Details of the conspiracy theories Mottershead discussed during his phone call to the base were not fully outlined, but the combination of the threatening language and his subsequent actions with weapons led to criminal proceedings against him.
Mottershead’s case highlights ongoing concerns about the security of military installations in Wales and across the UK more broadly. RAF Valley has a prominent presence on Anglesey and is an important employer in the region, with the local community having close ties to the base over many decades.
The incident will likely prompt further questions about how threats made directly to military bases are handled and what protocols are in place when someone makes explicit statements about intending to harm personnel before physically travelling to a site.
No injuries were reported as part of the incident, but the potential for serious harm given the weapons Mottershead was carrying when he arrived was clear. The case continues through the courts.