A MAN brandished a knife when police told him they were going to arrest him.

Blackburn magistrates heard Ashley Fielding, 30, became agitated and told officers they were not locking him up.

He threw things around his kitchen and after he had been Pava-sprayed grabbed the knife and started waving it around.

“The female officer who was alone with him in the kitchen was very frightened,” said Tracy Yates, prosecuting,

Fielding, of Hollowhead Avenue, Wilpshire, pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer. He was made subject to a community order for 12 months with a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement, fined £100 and ordered to pay £50 compensation to the officer, £85 costs and £85 victim surcharge.

Mrs Yates said police had been called to Hollowhead Lane by a female who claimed she had been assaulted. Fielding was told he was being arrested but he said he wasn’t going anywhere. At one stage he appeared to calm down but then became agitated again.

“He was Pava-sprayed but then, with his eyes streaming, he picked up the knife and began waving it around above his head,” said Mrs Yates. “He was screaming and the officer was backed into a corner, shouting at him to put the knife down.”

Jonathan Taylor, defending, said Fielding had been out with his partner and they had both been drinking.

“She can be volatile and on this occasion she began to argue with him,” said Mr Taylor. “He knew which way things were going to go so he excluded her from the house as calmly as he could. She called the police and complained about his behaviour but he has since been exonerated from that complaint.”

Mr Taylor said when the police came Fielding was in his own address and there was nothing going on.

“He was told he was going to be arrested and he became agitated,” said Mr Taylor.

“He tried to explain that at no point had he assaulted anybody and he shouldn’t be arrested. He had been going to bed and 15 minutes later he was being Pava sprayed in his own kitchen.

“He accepts he put the officer in fear and that was unacceptable,” Mr Taylor added.