A GLUSBURN man who armed himself with two kitchen knives to protect himself against his cousin has been handed a community sentence by magistrates with a 16 week electronic curfew.

Sean Brown, 29, had been involved in a Facebook row with his cousin, Cameron Foulston, which had ended with Brown inviting Mr Foulston to his house to ‘sort it out’, heard Skipton magistrates.

Brown had then seen Mr Foulston outside his home in Beanlands Place at lunchtime on January 28 with a second man and with a metal pole in his hands, the court heard.

Brown had gone into his kitchen, picked up two knives, and thrown them out of the door towards his cousin. There was a short scuffle, outside, witnessed by neighbours, before members of Mr Foulston’s family arrived and took him away, with the police arriving shortly afterwards.

Brown, who admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, and common assault, lived with his parents at Beanlands Place, but they had been away on the day, leaving him alone, the court was told.

In mitigation, John Mewies said Brown panicked when he saw the two men outside his house, had felt vulnerable, and had foolishly taken two knives out of the kitchen drawer.

“He had no intention of using them, but wanted to stop the men from entering his property. As a gesture, he threw the knives in their general direction, he was desperate and frightened,” said Mr Mewies. He added there followed an altercation outside, but that the two men had come onto Brown’s property, and he wanted them off.

Mr Mewies said there was ‘bad blood’ between family members, that disparaging comments had been made on social media, including about Mr Foulston’s mother, and that some had taken issue about Brown’s chosen lifestyle and dishevelled appearance.

He said he was unable to work because of a long term depressive illness, was unable to look after himself and had been subject to torment on occasions.

Magistrates told Brown his actions had not been the best way to deal with the issue and gave him a 12 month community order with up to 20 rehabilitation requirement days and a 16 week electronic curfew, between 7pm and 7am. He will also have to pay costs of £85 and a surcharge of £85.