'Bladdered' man swung knife around pub after bust-up

Stephen Roe left The New Navigation in Oldbury after the argument only to return armed with the blade.

But when his rival refused to back down, it was Roe who fled. The knifeman's night took a further turn for the worse when he suffered a fractured leg during a scuffle outside.

The 48-year-old told police he was "bladdered" after downing "eight or nine pints" earlier in the day on March 23, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

Words were exchanged with another drinker in the pub and after leaving, delivery driver Roe came back with the knife.

Mr Gary Cook, prosecuting, told the court: "The victim was in the Navigation pub in Oldbury when he became involved in a verbal argument with the defendant.

"The defendant had been in the public house all day long and had drunk a lot. He was asked to leave the public house but returned 20 to 30 minutes later and had a knife which he swung around in the direction of the victim."

But the victim remained undeterred despite being faced with the knife, shouting "come on then" at his challenger, the court was told. Then, along with his son, he chased Roe out the pub.

Mr Cook continued: "The defendant fell over. He got up and still had the knife. The son rugby-tackled him to the ground and held him on the ground until he was arrested."

It was Roe who came off worse, suffering the injury to his leg in the midst of the commotion.

"He said he had gone back to the public house to scare off the complainant. He has then been pursued from the public house," Mr Cook said.

"He didn't complain about his injuries because he said he probably deserved them. It was his account that a little rough justice had been handed out."

The court heard Roe was diagnosed with a "brain disease" in 2017 which experts said could cause his "cognitive thinking" to be impaired.

Mr Thomas Griffiths, defending, added: "He accepts full responsibility and has always done so. He made a significantly immature mistake."

Roe, of Titford Road, Oldbury, who pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article in a public place and using threatening and abusive behaviour with intent to cause fear of violence, was given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. He was also banned from licensed premises for 18 months.