A TEENAGER who wore a clown mask and brandished an axe at a pregnant woman left her so scared she threw a brick at him, a court heard.

Michael March, 18, joined in the so-called killer clown craze the night before Halloween and banged his axe on the floor to scare a couple walking past at 9.10pm.

He admitted possession of a bladed article at a hearing at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court and he will be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court next month.

Paul Anderson, prosecuting, said March, 17 at the time, waited for the couple in the car park of the Sand Dancer pub in Sea Road, South Shields.

The woman who March scared was 22 weeks pregnant at the time, magistrates heard.

Mr Anderson said she called police and told them "she had been chased by a male wearing a clown mask, brandishing an axe".

Two youths ran off and were traced on CCTV and March was arrested. He was found to be still in possession of the axe and had the mask in his backpack.

Magistrates heard he told police: "I'm sorry, I was not going to hurt her."

Mr Anderson said March, from Hopedene, Leam Lane, Gateshead, told police that "he had this axe and he was banging it on the floor to scare people".

Mr Anderson said: "It had the desired effect because she picked up a brick and threw it at him.

"He tried to explain it was a prank and ran off in something of a panic.

"He said it was all meant to be a joke that went badly wrong."

Magistrates declined to sentence him and sent the case to the crown court on February 6. He was granted unconditional bail.