Teen jailed for wielding machete

Lewis Stacey, 18, of Egerton Road, Bexhill, was spotted arguing with a boy on Friday evening while holding the weapon.

At a court hearing on Monday, Jeremy King, prosecuting, said: “The witness phoned the police after hearing shouting outside. The defendant was shouting at another male and he was seen to have a machete above his head.

“Police arrived but he ran off and was then later detained. Police found the machete in his flat under the sofa.

“The next day in police interview he at first denied the offence but then said he was outside a flat shouting at someone else while holding the machete.”

Stacey pleaded guilty to possessing a bladed article in public.

Aiden Harvey, defending, said: “The defendant suffers from ADHD and used to be on medication for it. This was stopped so he is trying to get back on it.

“He has no idea why he reacted in the way that he did. Earlier that day he heard that his partner was threatened and was the victim of an assault.

“He started to drink and the next thing he knew was finding himself in the cells charged with this offence.”

Magistrates jailed Stacey for six months.