Norfolk man who swung axe avoids jail term
Mary HamiltonA man who drunkenly swung an axe in a fight in a Norfolk town was told he was lucky not to be sent straight to jail.Mary Hamilton
A man who drunkenly swung an axe in a fight in a Norfolk town was told he was lucky not to be sent straight to jail.
Leslie Paramor, 38, was with a large group of people causing a disturbance in Church Street, North Walsham, on December 5, Norwich Crown Court was told yesterday
Prosecuting, Nick Methwold said: 'It seemed there were about 20 people fighting and witnesses say there was lots of noise and shouting.
'Whether or not he was part of that group, Paramor was seen waving an axe around in the street. Witnesses described him shouting 'Come on then, who wants it'.'
You may also want to watch:
Mitigating, Michael Clare said Paramor was a heroin addict who had been clean for four years, and his long history of offending was due to his addiction.
'His offending has been tailing off and he has not committed an offence since 2006, but he does use alcohol as a release valve,' said Mr Clare. 'For men like this, it would be a huge setback to return to prison.'
Most Read
- 1 Part of seventh skeleton discovered in city street
- 2 Aviva to close two large office sites in Norwich
- 3 6 best Chinese takeaways in Norwich according to Tripadvisor
- 4 Is your surname on this list? You could inherit a fortune
- 5 Norwich sees biggest rise in Covid infection rates in the country
- 6 Plans for affordable flats for rough sleepers approved despite concerns
- 7 New 24-hour McDonald's branch poised for green light
- 8 Timeline: When should you receive the coronavirus vaccine?
- 9 Delivery van towed from deep water on road closed due to flood risk
- 10 Nurse's 'heartbreak' over hospital care as her father dies on Covid ward
Judge Alasdair Darroch told Paramor: 'I accept you did not bring the axe to the scene, but a drunk man in a public place waving an axe is a terrifying prospect.
'If you had been trying to hit someone with it, you would have gone to prison. If you had hit someone you would have gone to prison for a long time.'
Paramor, of Hall Lane, North Walsham, admitted affray. He was sentenced to 30 weeks in prison, suspended for two years, and must undertake an alcohol treatment programme.
