A DRUNKEN ‘fool’ who wielded a piece of wood in the foyer of Nelson Police Station has been spared a jail sentence.

Kieron Rayson, 43, had been shouting ‘stab’ and ‘knife’ when he had turned up and started waving his arms in an aggressive manner.

He had had a piece of stick up his sleeve, Burnley Crown Court heard.

The hearing was told Rayson, who had a black eye, took a lot of medication and had been drinking as well and a judge said she was satisfied his outburst was an aberration. Rayson, of Poplar Street, Nelson, had had no convictions since 1998, but had received a caution for possessing a blade.

He had admitted having an offensive weapon at the police station inquiry desk and using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, both last December 4 and had been committed for sentence by Pennine magistrates.

The defendant received a six-month community order, with supervision. Stephen Parker, prosecuting, said at about 5.10pm, PCSO Hayley Thorpe was returning to the police station and as she walked past Rayson, he started shouting and waving his arms around.

He followed her to the inquiry desk and she asked her colleagues behind the desk to get help.

Two more officers arrived and the defendant was still aggressive and shouting.

He was taken into custody, said he was extremely drunk and could not really offer any explanation.

The defendant felt he might have been assaulted and that was the reason he had gone to the police station. He was shown the piece of wood, said he did not recognise it and did not know where it had come from.

He said: “I’m sorry for scaring the officer. I feel terrible.”

Jeremy Colman, for Rayson, said he had a ‘plethora of medical conditions’.

Sentencing the defendant, Judge Beverley Lunt said she had no idea what had been going through his mind and neither had he.

She said the police had to arrest him when confronted ‘by a fool wielding a piece of wood’.

She said: “I am entirely satisfied that you are not a danger to the public.

“This is an aberration, caused by the multiple medications you are on, plus you had too much to drink.”