Gainsborough: Man is jailed for 15 months after he waved an axe around

A Gainsborough man who waved an axe around in his street has been jailed for 15 months.

31-year-old Thomas Conway lost his temper after becoming annoyed about a game of football being played outside his home in High Street.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Conway at first went outside without a weapon and had to be dragged inside by his girlfriend.

Conway explained he felt like “a prisoner in his home” and went outside a second time at around 10pm with a curved axe behind his back, the court was told.

Phil Howes, prosecuting, said Conway eventually produced the axe and made a “slashing movement.”

One witness heard Conway say “I’m going to slash you up,” Mr Howes added.

Police attended at 10.15pm after a 999 call was made.

Conway admitted to having consumed one and half litres of cider.

The court heard Conway had 12 previous convictions for 25 offences including a previous sentence in 2011 when he produced a machete in the street.

Daniel Bishop, mitigating, said Conway had a problem with alcohol but wanted to apologise to the court for his actions.

Mr Bishop added: “He wants to train to be a mechanic.”

“He loves cars, he loves bikes and that is what he is hoping to do.”

Conway, formerly of High Street, Gainsborough, now of Fitzwilliam Road, Rotherham, admitted charges of affray and possessing a bladed article following the incident in June last year.

Judge Michael Heath made a destruction order for the axe and told Conway: “You waved it about.”

“The people who were there were frightened, not surprisingly.”

“The facts of the 2011 matter are strikingly similar to the 2013 offence, except on that occasion you produced a machete,” Judge Heath added.