A man who brandished a 12-inch kitchen after his friend's young dog had been fatally attacked by a couple's bigger dog has been spared jail.
Bradley James Edwards, 24, appeared for sentencing at Bolton Crown Court after pleading guilty to two counts of threatening another person with a bladed article. Judge Timothy Clayson was shown video footage from Horne Grove in Wigan which showed Edwards walking up to the path of the house, pulling out the knife from his shorts pocket and 'momentarily' entering the home occupied by a couple and their 'terrified' 14-year-old daughter before retreating.
The court was told that at the time of the offence, Edwards had been 'sofa surfing', staying at the home of a friend, who lived opposite the aggrieved couple. Edwards' friend had two dogs, which he had been walking regularly.
James Preece, defending, said that at about 3pm on May 2, last year his friend's young daughter 'came running in hysterical'. "She was covered in blood," he said. "One of the dogs had been attacked by another dog. It later died.
"This caused Mr Edwards to get angry at what he had just seen. He was in the kitchen and took the knife and went out with that knife." Mr Preece said Edwards had been diagnosed with PTSD after his mother was murdered when she was pushed out of a car by her partner and his natural father also died.
Judge Clayson told Edwards, of Isabella Square, Wigan: "What you did on this day by arming yourself with a kitchen knife and you went to someone's door with a child present was really appalling behaviour." The judge acknowledged there were no previous convictions for violence and that there was a 'significant gap' in his offending.
He sentenced Edwards to 15 months of prison, suspended for 18 months for both counts and a further month for failing to surrender to bail the previous week, all to run concurrently. Edwards must also carry out 40 days of rehabilitation activity.
And he advised Edwards to 'engage with the probation service to sort your life out and become a proactive member of society'. Judge Clayson added: "Many people in your position wouldn't be given this chance, so for goodness sake, don't throw it away."
