A WARWICK man lost his temper during a confrontation with one of his neighbours and lunged towards him with a large knife as their terrified children looked on.
Joseph Considine, of Market Street at the time, was jailed for 20 months by a judge at Warwick Crown Court.
The 25-year-old pleaded guilty to the relatively new offence of threatening a person with a bladed article.
Prosecutor Philip Brunt said Considine and Steven Bicknell were neighbours in a block of maisonettes, where they both lived with their respective girlfriends and children.
At around 6pm on January 6 Mr Bicknell was outside his home having a cigarette when Considine, who was with his girlfriend, walked past and insulted him.
Considine, who was reminded children were there, became wound up and angry with his neighbour’s dismissive response.
He hurled abuse and offensive threats at Mr Bicknell, threatening to knock his head off.
Mr Bicknell had part of a chair near his door, and picked it up and said if Considine came into his home, he would defend himself.
Mr Bicknell’s partner and two-year-old child were behind him, and the child became upset, as did one of Considine’s children who was also there.
Considine then pulled from his waistband what has been described as a combat knife and lunged at Mr Bicknell.
Mr Bicknell managed to move out of the way before Considine’s girlfriend pulled him away as another neighbour called the police.
When officers arrested Considine they searched his work van and found the knife, which had an eight-inch blade.
Mr Brunt added that Considine had previous convictions for affray, including one in which he brandished a machete.
Daniel Oscroft, defending, said said although the weapon looked like a combat knife, Considine had it on him because he had been using it to cut lead while working on a roofing job.
He added Considine maintained he did not intend to stab Mr Bicknell, but to put him in fear.
Judge Sylvia de Bertodano told him: “Knife crime is very serious because, no matter what your intentions when you produce the knife, if you bring out a knife, all that is going to do is make the situation worse.”
