A FORMER Inland Revenue worker's “outrageous” behaviour both inside and outside a pub late one Friday night saw him locked up for 16 months yesterday (Friday June 10).

Barred Richard Oliver Hutchinson subjected the landlady of The Falcon in Chester-le-Street to a torrent of lewd abuse as she ushered him away from the doorway.

However, he came running back into the pub and challenged customers playing pool to a fight and threw furniture around, a piece of which hit landlady Gillian Cardy on the leg, Durham Crown Court heard.

The 33-year-old was again bundled out and left saying he would get a knife. It later emerged he used a meat cleaver to smash the windows of cars parked near the South Pelaw premises.

Louise Harrison, prosecuting, said when later questioned Hutchinson admitted being “ten out of ten” on a scale of drunkenness.

Apologising for his behaviour, particularly to the landlady, he said he had downed a three-litre bottle of cider and taken 14-Valium tablets earlier that November 27.

Hutchinson claimed he had the meat cleaver for protection from people in the pub.

Miss Harrison said Mrs Cardy suffered bruising to the leg and a cut hand from a glass which Hutchinson smashed outside.

Hutchinson, was formerly living at a Salvation Army Hostel, in Sunderland, where he was attacked and suffered a head injury earlier this year.

He spent a week in hospital and was then taken back in by his parents at their home in the Grangetown area of the city.

But, when he admitted causing an affray, common assault, possessing a bladed article in public and two counts of criminal damage, at a recent hearing he was remanded in custody by Judge Christopher Prince, who requested a psychiatric report on the defendant.

Vic Laffey, mitigating, told yesterday's (Friday June 10) sentencing hearing that Hutchinson, who previously held down a responsible job in a tax office, “went into freefall” after the break-up of a relationship, turning to drink and drugs.

Having read the psychiatric report, Judge Prince told the defendant: “It’s clear, giving up drug taking and drinking to excess is the answer to your problems.”

Refusing a request by Mr Laffey to suspend any sentence, Judge Prince said: “The message has to go out that those carrying knives in public and then behaving in such outrageous manner will go to prison.”