A WINSFORD man has been jailed for four months for carrying a 3ft samurai sword in public.

John Finney, of Saxon Crossway, was sent to prison on Friday after admitting carrying the offensive weapon in Crossfield Avenue.

The court heard how the drunk 20-year-old turned up at the home of Angela Hatton on November 23 screaming and shouting that he wanted to both fight her son and shake his hand.

When told by Mrs Hatton to leave, Finney headed off with two girls but returned 30 minutes later.

Anthony Smith, prosecuting, said: "There was a knock on the door, she answered the door and it was Finney. He was carrying a 3ft samurai sword." An armed response unit arrived and saw a young woman hiding the sword in her coat.

Officers arrested Finney who became abusive and repeatedly head butted the vehicle's cage while being driven to the police station.

Paul Darnbrough, defending, said Finney had been drinking in Winsford when he was involved in a dispute earlier in the evening, which resulted in him being threatened at knifepoint.

He said: "It simply would not have happened if he'd not been in a state of intoxication. "He recognises that there is no place in our society for a young person to act in the way that he did and the way that he did act is absolutely appalling."

But he pointed out Finney did not brandish or threaten anyone with the sword adding the defendant felt ashamed' and remorseful.' Mr Darnbrough asked magistrates to consider a suspended sentence that would hang over him as the sword Damoclese' but the bench chose to send Finney to prison.

Ruth Unsworth, chairman of the bench, said; "You put people in fear and it was a planned use of a very dangerous weapon."

She also ordered for the sword to be destroyed.