A 62-YEAR-OLD man who brandished a kitchen knife while threatening to kill the manager of a Bradford bookmaker has been spared an immediate prison sentence.

Keith Donaldson returned to William Hill's branch in Manningham Lane with the weapon the day after he argued with Tekena Tom-West about a bet he had placed.

Bradford Crown Court was told yesterday that Donaldson, of Canterbury Avenue, Canterbury, Bradford, returned to the shop at 10.20am on September 11 and told Miss Tom-West: "Come outside. I am going to kill you."

She was behind a perspex screen and a locked door but was concerned for the safety of customers and pressed the panic button.

Donaldson then threatened: "I'm going to razor your throat. I'm going to kill you."

He waited outside for the police to arrive, telling them the knife was for opening tinned food and peeling oranges.

He had a previous conviction for wounding but nothing on his record for 30 years, the court was told.

He pleaded guilty to having a bladed article in a public place and making a threat to kill.

Donaldson's barrister, Clare Walsh, said he was unhappy with the decisions Miss Tom-West was making at the shop. He never intended to hurt her and knew he now had to keep away from the shop.

Judge David Hatton QC told Donaldson: "This was a disgraceful performance, taking out your frustration by wielding the knife in a public place, that shop, and issuing very unpleasant threats."

He accepted that Donaldson did not intend to harm Miss Tom-West but she was clearly very shaken up by the experience.

Donaldson was jailed for 12 months, suspended for 12 months, with 150 hours of unpaid work.

A restraining order bans him from contacting Miss Tom-West or going into the shop.