Customers took cover as father waved knife at landlord

James Genders made a bee-line for the landlord as customers took cover behind the bar of The Crown Inn at Long Acre Street, Walsall, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

Mr Neil Ahuja, prosecuting, said: "The knife had a four inch blade and had been collected from his home. He was angered after being asked to leave.

"He walked towards the landlord waving the knife. Customers took refuge behind the bar while the landlord picked up a stick used for measuring the distance darts players are standing from the board.

"As the defendant continued to close on him he used this to strike the hand holding the knife, cutting the hand and forcing the defendant to drop the knife. He then left the scene and declared: 'I will be back.'"

In fact, 43-year-old Genders went to hospital to receive treatment to his injured hand. Both he and the landlord independently called police to report the incident which happened on May 26. The defendant was later arrested at his home.

Mr Ahuja said: "He had gone to the pub with his five year old son. The defendant appeared to be stumbling around the table while playing pool. He seemed to be drunk and the landlord told him he had had too much to drink. He told Genders to take the five year old home.

"When he refused the landlord told a barman to take the drink of Guinness from the defendant and give him a refund. The door to the pub was held open and he eventually left with the child only to return with the knife half an hour later."

Mr Nigel Ford, defending, said: "He is thoroughly ashamed over what happened. It was an aberration."

Unemployed Genders, of Farrington House, Green Lane, Walsall admitted threatening behaviour with a bladed article and was given an eight month jail sentence suspended for 18 months with a six month night time curfew and 150 hours unpaid work. He was also excluded from The Crown Inn for 12 months by Judge John Wait.