Man armed with knife threatened to stab people in Leyland on New Year's Day

Gary Black, 33, of Fox Lane, Leyland, went home and armed himself with a knife after earlier incidents in the Barrister's Arm pub, Preston Crown Court was told.

During the incident he phoned the police and told control room staff he was going to stab someone.

Officers arrived at Tesco Extra on Towngate at 4am to see him near a delivery access gate, armed with a blade, and he walked towards them.

He admits possessing offensive weapon, and would have been subject to a mandatory minimum jail sentence as he has a previous conviction for possession of a weapon, but Recorder Neville Biddle deemed it would be unjust to send him to prison.

Prosecuting, Lisa Worsley said: " Mr Black continued to walk towards the police car to the driver's side with a firm grip on the knife, pointing towards the vehicle.

"The officers were concerned the knife may be used so remained in the vehicle with the doors locked."

The officers ordered him to drop the weapon and he eventually did and started to walk away with his hands in his pockets.

They drove forward but were concerned he may have another weapon and shouted at him to take his hands out of his pockets.

He told them: "Anyone who I came across tonight I would kill them," and repeated the threat several times, in a "calm and insistent" manner.

Following his arrest, the defendant said he had been out with friend and drank five pints in the Barrister's Arms, but a man had " pushed him seven or eight times" and wound him up to a point where he went home and got a knife from a kitchen drawer.

He said: "I went looking for him and I was going to stab him with the knife four or five times just because he wound me up."

He also said near midnight another person called Tom had wound him up, and he harboured similar intentions towards him.

Defending, Richard English said a psychiatric report to the court set out difficulties he had and how they impact on how he conducts himself.

He added: "The important part of the narrative is the ring the police had he not done so it's unlikely he would have been in front of the courts. He brought this on himself.

"He had no intention of hurting anybody, notwithstanding what he said.

"Clearly he was in an agitated state."

Recorder Neville Biddle said: " Unusually you called the police to tell them what was going on. They were worried they might be injured by the knife.

"You have a background of mental health problems, which are being addressed by the current order you're one. This is therefore an unusual case.

"In normal circumstances I would be bound to send you to prison with a minimum sentence, however in this case I find it would be unjust."