A MAN who threatened a former friend with a knife has avoided an immediate prison sentence.

Bradford Crown Court heard how Shahbaz Ahmed “squared up” to the man in the street on July 6 this year after their friendship had drifted apart.

After driving past one another Ahmed pulled his car into Clayton Rise and asked the other man, “What’s your problem?”

Ahmed pushed him in the chest several times and then drew a knife from his tracksuit bottoms.

Ahmed then made various threats to kill the other man, who managed to avoid the knife by stepping backwards.

The incident, which was witnessed by shocked neighbours who heard Ahmed threaten to shoot the other man, was also caught on CCTV.

Ahmed was arrested on August 8 when he handed himself in. In an interview, he gave “no comment” answers to questions.

The victim told police that he believed the threats made towards him were real.

The court heard that 34-year-old Ahmed, of View Road, Keighley, who had struggled with his mental health and attempted suicide, had “shocked himself” by his actions and could not understand how he could act in such a way. He was a man of previous good character.

Sentencing Ahmed to 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years, Miss Recorder Kama Melly said he had undergone “a significant mental health episode”.

She added: “This was a very serious criminal offence indeed.

“It must have been a terrible and traumatic ordeal to be approached by you making threats to kill.”

She ordered him to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and to undertake 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

The knife was not recovered.