A man threatened a group of youths with a knife following a disturbance at a McDonald's restaurant.

Kevin Merry, 44, had been at the outlet on Regent Road, Great Yarmouth, when an altercation broke out.

Norwich Crown Court heard there were chairs being thrown around the restaurant as part of the disturbance, after which Merry and his girlfriend left.

Lori Tucker, prosecuting, said once outside Merry walked off but his girlfriend remained near McDonald's remonstrating with the group of youths.

Ms Tucker said Merry returned "with a knife in a sheath underneath his coat" before pulling it out and waving it about to threaten the group who dispersed.

At least two members of the public called 999 after seeing the knife being produced and Merry was later arrested.

Merry, of Marine Parade, Great Yarmouth, appeared at court on Monday (December 20) to be sentenced having previously admitted affray and having an article with a blade or point on October 13, 2019.

Steven Dyble, mitigating for Merry - who has 35 convictions for 108 previous offences - said his client was "not in the best of health" and suffers from liver failure but was drug-free for the first time in decades.

He said following the incident in McDonald's involving the youths, Merry had left the scene but came back, at which point the knife was deployed to keep the group away from his girlfriend.

Mr Dyble said the knife was used to cause the group to scatter but insisted at no point was it used to attempt to stab anyone.

Sentencing Merry to 15 months imprisonment suspended for 18 months Recorder Guy Ayers said it was a "serious incident in a public place" where he had chosen to take a knife to the scene.

Recorder Ayers said that while the group of youths dispersed when he produced the knife the "sort of people who were around McDonald's would've included families and the like - people who would have been very concerned and worried by what you did".