A Suffolk man who sparked a major police operation lasting three hours after he was seen brandishing a machete in a street has been given a suspended prison sentence.
Police were contacted after Michael Johnson was seen waving the machete at someone in a car in Newmarket, Ipswich Crown Court heard.
When police arrived Johnson refused to come out of his accommodation and a total of 25 officers including armed police, dog handlers and negotiators were deployed to the area.
Johnson, 35, of Brewers Lane, Newmarket, had denied having an article with a blade, namely a machete in Brewers Lane, Newmarket on January 3 but was convicted by a jury after a trial.
He was given a nine-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, a 12-month drug rehabilitation requirement and a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement.
Sentencing him, Judge John Devaux said Johnson had been under the influence of drugs on the day in question.
The court heard that Johnson had been unemployed all his adult life because of his drug use but was now clean of all drugs.
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