Man who caused alarm to public by waving large knife around in Hartlepool street appears before Teesside Magistrates' Court

Concerned members of the public contacted police after seeing Daniel Keenan with the blade in Oxford Street, Hartlepool.

Others were also present, Teesside Magistrates’ Court heard.

Michael Embleton, prosecuting, said: “Police attend an area because they have been contacted by a member of the public that a man is waving a knife about.

"They attend and arrest him and they find a large silver kitchen knife.”

Footage of the incident showed Keenan, 40, with the knife in his right hand before he dropped it, then picked it up again and threw it onto a grassed area.

Mr Embleton added: “This is a knife that’s been waved about in public and used in effectively a dangerous manner.”

Keenan, of Dowson Road, Hartlepool, admitted the offence and also having a quantity of Zoplicone sleeping pills, a controlled class C drug.

Neil Bennett, defending, said in mitigation it was his client’s first weapons offence.

He also argued Keenan’s actions did not pose a risk of serious disorder.

Mr Bennett said: “It’s an inexplicable situation. We’re not saying it’s okay to behave like this just because you have taken something.”

Magistrates said it warranted prison but decided to suspend the four-month sentence for 18 months.

Chair of the bench Dr Gursharan Singh told Keenan: "These are pretty serious offences.

“What if you threw the knife and somebody was just turning the corner, then wham?”

Keenan was also given 20 rehabilitation days and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £154 surcharge.

The knife will be destroyed.