Street football axe wielder jailed

A man who wielded an axe in his street after becoming annoyed by people playing football has been jailed for 15 months. Thomas Conway, 31, lost his temper about the game of football being played outside his home in High Street, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Conway at first went outside without a weapon and had to be dragged inside by his girlfriend. Conway explained he felt like "a prisoner in his home" and went outside a second time at around 10pm with a curved axe behind his back, the court was told.

Phil Howes, prosecuting, said Conway eventually produced the axe and made a "slashing movement." One witness heard Conway say "I'm going to slash you up," Mr Howes added. Police attended at 10.15pm after a 999 call was made. Conway admitted to having consumed one and half litres of cider.

The court heard Conway had 12 previous convictions for 25 offences including a previous sentence in 2011 when he produced a machete in the street. Conway, formerly of Gainsborough, now of Rotherham, admitted charges of affray and possessing a bladed article following the inciden. Judge Michael Heath made a destruction order for the axe and told Conway: "You waved it about. The people who were there were frightened, not surprisingly."