A MAN who went to remonstrate with another man armed himself with an axe in case he needed to "de-escalate" the situation.

Blackburn magistrates heard the victim ended up grappling with Awais Mahmood before getting the axe off him.

The unsavoury incident was witnessed by one of his children who was upset by the incident.

The victim said he thought he was going to be hit with the axe and had never been as frightened in his life.

Mahmood, 37, of Gloucester Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to possessing an axe in a public place and assault. He was jailed for 10 months and ordered to pay £187 victim surcharge on release. He was made subject to a restraining order for two years which prohibits any contact with the victim or entering the road he lives on.

Imposing an immediate prison sentence District Judge Alex Boyd said Mahmood had deliberately taken the axe to the other man's house.

"The rationale that you may have used it to de-escalate the situation is something that is often heard in these courts," said District Judge Boyd.

"The reality is that you made an already dangerous situation into a potentially fatal one."

Sameena Chaudhry, prosecuting, said the victim was at home with his three children. They were having a doorstep row when, he claimed, the defendant raised the axe as if he was going to strike him.

"I can't believe he was in possession of an axe when he came to my front door," he said. "I have never been so scared in all my life."

Daniel Frazer, defending, said his client had been responding to an incident in which his wife had been abused.

"He didn't go there all guns blazing and says he took the axe to warn the other man off should the situation escalate," said Mr Frazer. "He accepts that if someone knocked on his door armed with an axe it would cause him a great deal of distress."