A DRUNKEN man who took an ornamental sword and a knife into the street after punching a 14-year-old boy and threatening to “put a bullet through his head” has been spared an immediate jail sentence.

Paul Page’s poorly father wrote to the judge at Bradford Crown Court appealing for his son to keep his liberty because he was his carer and he relied very heavily on him.

Page, 24, of Braithwaite Avenue, Keighley, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated assault by beat-ing and possession of the knife and sword in the street close to his home on February 13 last year.

Prosecutor Jessica Randell said that Page was in drink and behaving oddly outside The Keith Thompson Centre in Coronation Mount, Keighley, at 6.15pm.

He accidently struck a staff member in the face with his watch and swore at the boy and the group of friends with him.

Page then hurled racist abuse at the teenager, grabbed him in a headlock and threatened to put a bullet through his head if he didn’t tell him where he lived, Miss Randell told the court today.

He then punched him in the back and began kicking at cars and hitting windows.

The teenager went into the youth centre but Page was still outside when he came out of the build-ing. He had a large metal pole and he was shouting: “I’ll get you all, I’ll kill you,” at no one in par-ticular.

He then went home for the ornamental sword and the knife but he threw them into the bushes when the police arrived.

Page had four previous convictions for nine offences, including assault occasioning actual bodi-ly harm, dangerous driving and criminal damage.

His barrister, Clare Walsh, said he was the registered carer for his sick father.

It was a one-off incident when he was in drink. There was no pattern of violent, racist behaviour and Page wished to stress to the court that he was not a racist.

His father had written a letter pleading for his son to be spared an immediate prison sentence.

Judge Jonathan Gibson sentenced Page to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, with 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days and participation on the Think Again programme.

He must pay the boy £150 compensation and a two-year restraining order bans him from con-tacting him in any way.

Judge Gibson said that although the teenager was unharmed, he must have been extremely frightened.

Page had the bladed articles quite close to the youth centre but he did not threaten anyone with them. He threw them away when he saw the police.