'I'll get a knife and shut you up' said man after teenager spat in front of him

A man grabbed a knife and chased after a teenage boy when he spat in front of him.

George Ford was stood outside his Dewsbury home when the youth walked past on August 21.

The 43-year-old confronted the lad over his behaviour and then retrieved a knife from his property.

Ford's solicitor admitted that he completely overreacted to the situation.

He pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon in public when he appeared at Kirklees Magistrates' Court .

Prosecutor Vanessa Jones said that Ford was in his garden when the teenager passed by and spat on the ground.

She told magistrates: "Ford told him off and the young person was not happy about being told off and told Foley to shut up.

"Mr Foley's response was: 'I'll get a knife and shut you up'. Then he went to his house and came back with the knife."

The youth had moved by that point but Ford left his Northstead home and ran into the street with the knife.

Mrs Jones said that the teenager then came back towards Ford and threatened to put his windows through.

She told magistrates: "He felt it was disgusting that he spat on the ground and got the knife to frighten off the young man."

Mark Mangano, mitigating, explained that his client suffered from some learning disability but knew that his behaviour was wrong.

He said: "He reacts to situations badly. His perception was that he was being threatened and he overreacted.

"In this case it was a complete overreaction to a young man who spat in the street."

Magistrates said they needed a Probation report on Ford prior to his sentencing next Thursday.