A BURY man who brandished an extendable baton outside the town's police headquarters has been jailed for four months.

Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard how, on March 31, just before 7.30pm police were informed that there was a man parked outside the station with what appeared to be a machete.

Alistair Reid, prosecuting, told Judge Maurice Greene, that Fawad Bhatti was stood beside a vehicle brandishing what was later discovered to be an extendable baton.

“He appeared to be shouting towards another vehicle,” said Mr Reid.

He told the court that the occupants of the second car were in fact Bhatti’s ex-partner and another man.

The pair were also heading towards the police station and were behind Bhatti’s vehicle, the court heard.

The court was told that the second man also had a baseball bat stashed inside his vehicle.

In court Bhatti, aged 32, of Millett Street, after some prevarication, pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon.

David Bruce, defending, said Bhatti had contacted police that day because he had been receiving threats from his ex-partner and the other man who was in the car at the time.

“The defendant was quite close to the police station and the other car was behind him,” said Mr Bruce.

“He is saying he was being chased at that particular point.

“But it’s also clear that the defendant gets out of his vehicle and he has this extendable baton in his hand.

“He says, and it clearly is an failure of judgement, that he felt under threat and he wanted them to back off.”

The court heard that Bhatti has a previous criminal record for violence.

But it was said he had not offended for some years.

Passing sentence, Judge Green told the defendant: “You had an extendable baton which, if used on people, is a fearsome weapon which can cause a lot of damage.

“It maybe you felt you were protecting yourself.

"But the fact is you weren’t entitled to have this weapon.

“You certainly weren’t entitled to get out of your car with it in your hand and you were seen waving it in the street as well which makes it a serious matter.”

Judge Greene sentenced Bhatti to four months in prison but because of the time he has already spent in custody on remand, he was freed immediately.