A man who ran into a pub brandishing a machete and terrifying customers has been jailed for ten months.

At the sentencing in Preston, the court heard that on August 26 2018, Patrick Hannan had entered the Intack Inn on Accrington Road, Blackburn, with his brother, before being asked to leave by the landlord.

Hannan, of Blackburn Road, Darwen, left the pub without commotion but then returned some 30 minutes later, armed with a machete, which he used to terrify customers.

Presiding over the case, Recorder, Mr T Gilbart, said that on the date in question, Hannan had been drinking excessively and had admitted that on a scale of one to ten, when it came to being drunk, he was an eleven.

Lancashire Telegraph:

Mr Gilbart said: "You approached an area where two customers were sat and battered the machete down in a chopping action.

"The CCTV from the pub shows the terrified look on the face of one of the customers.

"The landlord and another customer disarmed you and you were later arrested by police and said you couldn't remember where you got the machete from."

The court also heard how Hannan had six previous convictions for 12 offences, including common assault, but had not been in trouble since 2010.

Defending, Miss Kathryn Johnson asked the judge to apply leniency and to consider a suspended sentence with the addition of a community order.

Miss Johnson said: "My client entered a guilty plea at the first opportunity, and said he has no recollection of why he became involved in the matter or where he got the machete from."

Miss Johnson explained that Hannan usually spends his spare time caring for his children, working or volunteering in order to avoid drinking to an excess.

She added that he was anxious at receiving a custodial sentence, especially considering the time of year and the impact it would have on his relationship with his children.

In summing up, Mr Gilbart said: "As you may appreciate this must have been terrifying for the people in the pub.

"People should be able to go out and relax in a pub without fear that someone will come in with a very large weapon.

"You have expressed remorse and I have considered all the mitigating factors including all the positive things I have heard about you and it is a great shame you find yourself in the dock today.

"Despite this, it was a very serious matter of affray and the only appropriate sentence is one of prison."

Hannan was sentenced to ten months in jail and the court ordered the machete used in the incident to be destroyed.