A Penrith man who threatened a landlord with a screwdriver has avoided an immediate jail sentence.
Michael O’Shaughnessy admitted threatening the landlord of The Pinny pub on Burrowgate in the town with a blade/sharply pointed article on March 3 last year.
George Shelley, prosecuting, told magistrates that the pub landlord Dave Mollon heard loud voices outside in the early hours and that when he went to investigate he found a number of people arguing outside.
He asked O’Shaughnessy, of Brunswick Road, to calm down but he got a large screwdriver out of his pocket. Mr Mollon then knocked the screwdriver from his hand and police were called. He was then arrested.
The 37-year-old pleaded guilty last month before a scheduled trial.
Sean Harkin, defending, said the “article in the charge was more sharply pointed than a blade” and that his client had the screwdriver with him as he was going to do some work at his girlfriend’s home.
He admitted he was intoxicated, a fact that didn’t help the situation and that this was not his usual behaviour. He apologised to all concerned.
After reading pre-sentence reports prepared by the probation service, the presiding magistrate said, “What you don’t do is take a screwdriver to a pub, this was not a bladed article, however”.
O’Shaughnessy was sentenced to a custodial sentence of 18 weeks, but this will be suspended for 18 months. He has to pay prosecuting costs of £300 and a victims’ surcharge charge of £122.
He also has to attend 20 rehabilitation days and complete 120 hours of unpaid work. The screwdriver was confiscated.
