A MAN pleaded with a judge to ban him from every pub and club in Bury St Edmunds after a drinking session ended with him walking through streets with a samurai sword.

Richard Alan Campbell, of Queens Road, Bury, who pleaded guilty to possessing a knife in a public place, was told that if he committed another crime in the next year or entered a town pub he will be locked up.

West Suffolk Magistrates’ Court was told that CCTV operators had called police after the 35-year-old was seen in St Andrew’s Street North with “a knife” at about 6.45pm on December 21 last year.

Rosalind Cappleman, prosecuting, said police had stopped Campbell in Parkway and found the 2ft sword tucked into his trousers.

She told the court that Campbell, who was held by two officers, said: “I have been drinking, I’m very stupid. I shouldn’t have done it, I realise I was being stupid.”

Miss Cappleman said that Campbell had drunk five pints and four shots with a friend at the Wetherspoon pub, in Bury St Edmunds, but left to retrieve the small sword after things became “a bit heated”.

The court was told that the 35-year-old stood outside the LP bar on Woolhall Street before phoning a friend who advised him to leave the town centre. However, Campbell was stopped before he could get home.

Nick Wray, mitigating, said his client had disposed of all alcoholic drinks at his home and had also handed in other samurai swords.

He added that his client wanted to be banned from all pubs and clubs to help him stay away from drink.

District Judge Celia Dawson said Campbell had come “within a whisker” of being sent to the crown court for sentencing.

She added: “You were drunk and you were in public with an incredibly dangerous weapon. The court quite rightly has to take these matters seriously.”

But Judge Dawson said due to Campbell’s early guilty plea, the fact that he was moving away from confrontation and because he had disposed of alcohol and swords, she would not send him to jail straight away.

She sentenced him to five months in prison suspended for 12 months and 100 hours of unpaid work for the benefit of the community.

Judge Dawson added: “Finally, as you requested, I am going to prohibit you from entering pubs and clubs for the next 12 months.”