A MAN spent his 21st birthday in a police station after intimidating people with a 4ft samurai sword.

Otis Gordon had been celebrating his birthday with friends on June 14 and drank until 8am the next morning, when he was arrested for affray and possessing an unlawful weapon.

Blair Martin, prosecuting, told Darlington Magistrates' Court: "Two witnesses saw him walking down the road with the sword.

"One of them said that he had a swagger and was intently looking around.

"He was so frightened that he ran into a shop.

"While looking out he noticed a man walking towards the defendant and the defendant pulling the sword from the sheath and making chopping movements with it. This made him feel very uncomfortable and scared.

"Another witness who was in his car at the time said Mr Gordon looked straight at him and in an elaborate and threatening manner put the sword above his head."

When police arrived at Whessoe Road to arrest Gordon he told them that they would not find the sword.

It was recovered less then half an hour later.

Chris Bunting, mitigating, said that Gordon, who pleaded guilty to both offences, had found the sword in a park and had picked it up.

"When police received these calls from members of the public, they rightly took matters very seriously, " said Mr Bunting.

"When they arrived at the scene and assessed the situation they began to take a softer approach.

"He had stayed up through the night and was on his way home when he found the item in the grass at the park.

"He was still affected by drink and he picked it up and began to mess about with it by chopping grass and small branches.

"He recalls a male approaching him and saying, What are you doing?', to which he merely replied, 'Leave me alone'.

"Mr Gordon would like to make a full apology to anybody who may have been scared by his conduct."

The case against Gordon, who lives in Over Dinsdale, near Darlington, was adjourned until July 14 for reports.