CHRISTMAS celebrations ended in terror when a drunk man turned up at a pub armed with two knives and a hatchet.
Mark Quinlan (39) had been involved in an altercation with a group of youths outside the Black Bull pub in Whittlesey, on Christmas Eve, last year, Peterborough Crown Court heard.
He had headbutted a 17-year-old during the scuffle and grabbed a ba
rmaid by the arm.
Prosecutor Craig McDougall said Quinlan then left the pub, but returned about 20 minutes later in a car.
Mr McDougall said: “He drove his vehicle and ended up crashing against a post of some sort.
“He then came out of the vehicle and was going towards the pub. In his possession were two knives and a hatchet in his belt.”
The father-of-two, of Coronation Avenue, Whittlesey, pleaded guilty to affray and two counts of possessing a bladed article.
Mitigating, Julia Faure Walker said he was addressing his drink problem.
She added: “The only way he can describe his behaviour that evening was stupid. It was entirely out of character.”
Judge Sean Enright sentenced him to two concurrent nine-month sentences, suspended for two years.
“He told him: “People were frightened by what you did that night.”
Quinlan was also ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work.
Magistrates dealt with the drink- driving offence at an earlier hearing.
The full article contains 236 words and appears in Peterborough ET newspaper.
