A MAN who threatened a workman with a knife after he refused to 'buy his girlfriend' kicked off in the dock when he was sentenced to six months in prison.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Ryan Tatton, 29, was drunk and arguing with his girlfriend in the build-up to the incident which happened in St James Square, Bacup, at 11am on August 11.

Prosecuting, Emma Kehoe said: "He made a suggestion to the workmen that they might like to buy his girlfriend from him. Thankfully the workmen didn't take him up on the offer.

"The defendant seemed to be riled by workmen's refusal."

Ms Kehoe said Tatton,of Booth Crescent, Waterfoot, then brandished a Stanley knife and began waving it at victim Adam Bottomley.

The defendant then began shouting at Mr Bottomley and asked him if he 'wanted to go' in reference to fighting.

When police were called Tatton passed the knife to his girlfriend and ran from the scene.

Ms Kehoe said Tatton's girlfriend threw the knife to the ground and it was recovered by officers.

Police were then able to trace the knife back to the defendant.

Tatton, who has previous convictions for wounding, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and harassment, pleaded guilty to threatening a person with a blade or a point.

Defending, Adam Roxborough said his client's offending had centred around the misuse of alcohol but he had refrained from drinking over recent weeks to care for his sister who had been seriously injured in a car crash.

Mr Roxborough said: "He has drinking issues. That drinking leads to his misbehaving in the way that he does. Some violence towards his partners and behaviour such as this. He accepts he has been binge drinking as a result of stress because his sister has been seriously injured in a road traffic collision."

Jailing Tatton for six months, Judge Beverley Lunt said it was time criminals realised the courts will not tolerate people carrying and producing knives in public.

Judge Lunt added: "You were out on the streets with a knife in your possession. You were aggressive. You were definitely unpredictable."

After being sentenced Tatton became aggressive and had to be restrained by five dock officers.

He shouted: "You will see. The second I step foot in jail somebody is going to get taken out. That is because of you."