A drunken thug who had downed ten pints of beer armed himself with a knife and threatened to kill his uncle after a heated family argument got out of control.
Menacing Gareth Bolton, 28, left nearby children and families at a BBQ frightened after he warned them to get away if they did not want to witness what was going to happen.
The conflict was sparked after Bolton wanted some information from his uncle about another person but was left furious when he did not get it, Hull Crown Court heard.
Bolton, of Hull, admitted to affray and making threats with an offensive weapon in 26th Avenue on April 17, Hull Live reports.
Harry Bradford, prosecuting, said that Bolton went to his uncle's home at 8pm, seeking information about another person.
The uncle did not tell him what he wanted to know and an argument and a fight broke out.
Bolton was escorted and evicted from the house and he went a short distance to his home before returning carrying a serrated knife belonging to his mother. "As he approached the property, he brandished the knife brazenly," said Mr Bradford.
There was a family barbecue going on nearby and Bolton shouted: "Get them kids away so they won't see what's going to happen." Parents rushed the children inside, with Bolton only yards away.
"The level of fear those parents must have felt can only be imagined," said Mr Bradford. "This wasn't quick, it wasn't instant, it was drawn out."
When Bolton reached the house, he began banging on the door and screamed threats at the occupants, saying that he was going to kill them. Despite the banging, those inside did open the door and Bolton went towards his uncle with the serrated knife. The man was able to defend himself by hitting Bolton with a torch.
Bolton later admitted to police that he had drunk ten pints of beer but denied having a knife with him or leaving home with one. He had convictions for eight previous offences, including five in November of assaulting an emergency worker on the same day.
Cathy Kioko-Gilligan, mitigating, said that Bolton, a self-employed labourer with two children, had been suffering from problems at the time, which he had been trying to resolve with the help of alcohol, but he was now no longer dependent on drink. "This was an appalling offence against members of the defendant's own family and he bitterly regrets that," said Miss Kioko-Gilligan.
"This behaviour was wholly out of character. He acknowledges that the root of his offending has been issues associated with alcohol abuse." Both sides had put matters behind them and continued with their good relationship.
Judge Sophie McKone told Bolton: "You went home and armed yourself with a very dangerous weapon and then you took that into the street, which was busy with children and families who were celebrating Easter.
"It must have been terrifying for those families and for those children and they did their best to get them away from you with that knife. You were clearly aware of the effect you were having on people in that street.
"When you were banging on the door, you were threatening to kill people inside. That must have been a very frightening experience."
When somebody was armed with a knife and had been drinking, there was always a high risk of somebody being injured or killed, even though that might not have been the intention.
"It was committed in front of children," said Judge McKone. "There was serious alarm and distress. There was a risk of serious disorder."
Bolton was jailed for 16 months. "Going onto the street with a knife on the presence of children and other people is too serious for it to be suspended," added Judge McKone.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
READ NEXT:
