Telford Samurai sword man gets supervision order
A man was seen waving around a Samurai sword during a dispute with neighbours, a court heard.
Joshua Richards had grabbed the weapon when he lost his temper at Woodside in September last year.
The 22-year-old Telford man appeared for sentence at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday having admitted a charge of being in possession of the sword in a public place.
Recorder Martin Butterworth told Richards it was a serious offence which could have escalated into something quite terrible. He told Richards that having lost his temper, picking up such a weapon and waving it about in the street had been the wrong response.
"You handled the situation extremely badly so soon after being given a community order," he said.
Richards, now of Dalby Court, Hollinswood, was given an 18 month supervision order and must attend a specified training programme. A previous order which involves unpaid work remains in place.
Mr Stephen Scully, for Richards, said his client had foolishly picked up the sword when confronted by a neighbour, but had not intended to use it. He said He accepted he had not been a good neighbour when he lived in Waybridge, Woodside, and was seeking help to manage his anger.
