A JUDGE ordered preparation of a psychiatric report on a defendant awaiting sentence for causing a prolonged pub confrontation.

Despite being barred from the premises, Richard Hutchinson appeared to “want to take on the world” when he confronted the landlady and other customers at the Falcon, in Chester-le-Street, late on Friday November 27.

Durham Crown Court heard that Hutchinson was later to concede he was “ten out of ten” on a scale of drunkenness, having consumed a three-litre bottle of cider and 14 Valium tablets.

Louise Harrison, prosecuting, said landlady Gillian Cardy received complaints about the behaviour of Hutchinson outside the Hilda Park premises, shortly before 11pm.

She went out to ask him to move on, but he refused and told her to “bring the boys out”.

He made lewd comments, smashed a glass off the ground and began banging on the windows with the palms of his hands.

Miss Harrison said Mrs Cardy believed she had ushered him away at one point, but he returned and barged into the pub, fighting with some members of a group playing pool.

Hutchinson was shoved outside, despite trying to get at some of the customers helping the landlady.

But, he remained agitated outside and then burst back into the pub with another male, throwing items at Mrs Cardy, hitting her on the legs, causing bruising.

She also cut a finger on glass smashed by Hutchinson, who put the back windows out of two cars parked outside the premises.

Miss Harrison said he also threatened to get a knife to attack people in the pub, and, after his arrest, police recovered a meat cleaver from the back of one of the damaged vehicles outside the pub.

When interviewed he told police he took the meat cleaver for protection as he said he often received abuse from customers at the pub.

But he accepted being the main instigator of trouble and said he was ashamed at his behaviour, particularly to the landlady.

Thirty-three-year-old Hutchinson, until recently living in a hostel in Sunderland but recently said to have returned to his parents’ address in the Grangetown area of the city, admitted causing an affray, common assault, possessing a bladed article in public and two counts of criminal damage.

Vic Laffey, mitigating, said Hutchinson, himself, was recently the victim of an assault from which he suffered a fractured skull, with a risk of potential knock-on brain damage.

Judge Christopher Prince said he was concerned at Hutchinson’s behaviour that night, “apparently, wanting to take on the world”, and the potential danger he poses to the public.

“He’s clearly a danger to himself and others as he was that night when utterly out of control and in possession of a meat cleaver.”

He remanded Hutchinson in custody, pending sentence on June 10.