A drunk had to be tasered twice after he armed himself with a knife from a takeaway kitchen because his brother got into a fight.
Cocaine-fuelled Daniel Graham and his sibling had been enjoying a day out in Newcastle City Centre and had been drinking for nearly 12 hours by the time they ended up at a food outlet on Westmoreland Road. However, trouble soon flared between the pair and a group of males, a court was told.
Whilst his brother was involved in the fight, Graham ran into nearby PSB Grill and grabbed a knife from the kitchen area but, by the time he got back outside, police were on the scene and they immediately saw him with the blade.
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Newcastle Magistrates' Court was told that officers tasered Graham twice as he emerged from the takeaway before taking him to the ground and disarming him.
Graham, of Merlay Hall, Walker, has now avoided jail after he pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article. Giving him a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, District Judge Paul Currer said: "This offence was serious for the following reasons. You had been using alcohol and cocaine and it was the early hours of the morning.
"While heavily intoxicated, you got into difficulties with other males and your brother is assaulted by them. You dealt with that by arming yourself with a knife and going out the shop. It seems clear to me that you were determined to intervene in that fight and you armed yourself to carry out that intervention. That was an extremely serious and dangerous course of action."
The court heard that Graham was outside Magic Flame, on Westmoreland Road, at around 4am on August 19 this year. He's then captured on CCTV going into nearby PSB Grill and grabbing the blade.
Marc Atkins, prosecuting, said: "The defendant picks up the knife and runs out of the takeaway. Police are outside and he's tasered twice then taken to the floor and the knife is taken off him. In interview, he accepts possession of the knife."
The court heard that Graham, who has no past convictions, had only intended to scare the males who were assaulting his brother and he was not thinking of using it. Alanna Wesencraft, defending, added: "There were six males attacking his brother. He did try to get him to to leave him alone. He panicked then, unfortunately, did what we have heard."
Graham must also abide by a 12-week curfew between 7pm and 6am and must pay £85 costs and a £154 victim surcharge
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