A Palmerston North man, who after a night's drinking returned to a city bar brandishing a baseball bat and samurai sword, has been sentenced to 300 hours' community service.
Benjamin Wood, 21, a student, faced charges of threatening to kill, wilful damage and two charges of possession of an offensive weapon
when he appeared before Judge Gregory Ross in the Palmerston North District Court.
The charges arose after Wood spent an evening drinking at a bar in February.
He became aggressive after being ejected by the bar management, and had to be taken home by police.
Wood returned to the bar later carrying a baseball bat and samurai sword, and stood outside threatening the manager, who was in the bar.
After a standoff with armed police, he was arrested.
Defence counsel Fergus Steedman described Wood as an alcoholic who in the three months before the incident had been sober for a total of "about three days".
- NZPA
