Leyland robber was on licence from prison when he swung machete in the street, court told

Dane Aiden Pointon, 21, of Bannister Drive, Leyland, was on licence from a sentence for a robbery involving a weapon at the time, having been released eight months earlier.

On July 25 last year he was seen swinging a machete on Broadfield Drive, Leyland, in which after a man got out of a car and remonstrated with him, and the frightening incident was witnessed by members of the public.

He pleaded guilty to affray and possession of a weapon on the basis he had the machete with him because he was expecting an imminent attack as there had been an ongoing issue between himself and the victim's girlfriend.

He alleges threats and nasty comments had been made to his friend, including calling her children "scruffy" and "obese" and saying they "should be taken off her".

Prosecuting, Verity Quaite said: " One witness describes the blade being swung violently and aggressively.

"Police were contacted but he ran away before their arrival.

"He initially denied knowledge of the incident and even when shown CCTV he denied it was him."

The court heard one resident gave a victim statement saying she had been "frightened, stressed and felt there was no justification for that sort of violence" and that it was particularly distressing to see it outside her house.

Judge Richard Gioserano accepted he had initially made efforts to stay out of trouble and lead a positive life on his release.

He said: " It was clearly a large knife.

"I am prepared to accept the account you've set out in the basis of plea.

"If there was not some background, this would have been a random attack by you on a complete stranger, which of course makes no sense at all.

"Your position is aggravated by the fact this was not just the threat of violence with a weapon, it was the threat of violence with a particularly nasty weapon, and in addition to that you were still on licence, released only eight months earlier from a robbery sentence which also involved a weapon.

The judge said Pointon had the positive influences of his employment and his partner who he described as " a thoroughly decent woman" and added: "Return to those efforts and make sure this time you make it stick."

The Lancashire Post is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism. For unlimited access to Lancashire news and information online, you can subscribe here.