A TEENAGER who armed himself with a machete after a drive-by shooting at his parents' home has been jailed following a violent confrontation involving at least eight men.

Heavily-convicted Shaun Hope was one of a group of men who clashed in broad daylight in Stockton town centre in July.

The 19-year-old was caught on CCTV brandishing an 18-inch machete during the confrontation after a gang of four men got out of an Audi and approached Hope and his friends.

Teesside Crown Court heard Hope swung the machete at the head and body of one of the men before retreating.

Jolyon Perks, prosecuting, said Hope then moved back towards the other man who then discharged pepper spray at the defendant.

He said: "He begins to swing the machete at the body and head of the first male who approaches him. He doesn't make contact, he turns his back and starts to walk away before turning around again and returning to confront the people in the Audi."

Armed police arrived at the scene where Hope was arrested and was discovered to have the machete stuffed down his tracksuit bottoms.

Hope, of Bridge Road, Stockton, pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article and affray following the incident on July 21 this year near Trinity Gardens.

Gary Wood, representing the teenager, said his client was given the machete by another person after he had been made aware of a threat against him.

"He was told he was potentially at risk," he said. "The reality is that he didn't do anything about it – he didn't go to the police, he didn't stay indoors and went about his daily business."

The judge, Recorder Jonathan Sandiford, said: "When you are talking about a drive-by shooting at his parents' house, generally speaking people don't have their house shot at for no reason – I know that can happen – generally it is people who are involved in criminality."

He added: "There was a confrontation in which you produced a machete which had a blade of 18 inches, a wholly formidable and potentially lethal weapon.

"You were arrested are the police were summoned, it's fair to say that you co-operated with police. You were arrested at gunpoint and it's probably safe to say you had little choice."

Hope was sent to a young offenders' institute for 20 months.