A 33-YEAR-OLD man who brought terror to a quiet Blackburn street when he was seen wielding a Samurai sword has been spared an immediate prison sentence.

Blackburn magistrates heard that police, including an armed response unit, attended the scene, in Honeyhole, last month after reports of a man with a sword and a gun.

An officer eventually punched Samuel Currie on the nose after another officer shouted that he had a sword behind his back.

The sword was recovered along with a black BB gun which, prosecutor Alex Mann said, was not brandished and was not subject to any charge.

Currie, 33, of Yates Fold, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to possessing a Samurai sword in a public place. He was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, made subject to community supervision for 12 months with a condition he attend the addressing substance-related offend-ing programme, and ordered to pay £60 costs Mrs Mann said police were called to Honeyhole about 9.30pm and when they entered a block of flats they saw Currie on the top landing.

He was shouting and banging and, as the officers approached, reached out and opened a cupboard where the officers saw the black hand gun.

“He reached behind his back and an officer shouted that he had a sword,” said Mrs Mann. “PS Clayton was in fear of his own safety and punched the defendant on the nose. Other officers were able to apply handcuffs.

“The sword was recovered from the back of his trousers.”

Andrew Church-Taylor, defending, said the weapon could better be described as a knife, part of a three- part ornamental set kept on top of his television.

“Such was his state of intoxication he walked out of the house with the knife in his hand,” said Mr Church-Taylor.

“On the short walk to his friend’s house he realised what he had done and put the knife down the back of his trousers.”