A MAN has been spared jail after taking a baseball bat into a McDonald's restaurant.

Steven Roberts, of Alexandra Road in Mold, appeared at Wrexham Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

At a previous hearing, the 33-year-old had admitted one offence of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.

Prosecutor Justin Espie told the court that on April 2 this year, Roberts entered McDonald's in Flint after arming himself with a baseball bat.

In the restaurant, he "stood there holding it in a threatening manner."

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Gary Harvey made limited submissions to the court, explaining his client is employed as a shop fitter and has been for some time.

District Judge Gwyn Jones told the defendant: "Mr Roberts, those premises would be full of customers - including children - who would understandably be very fearful seeing a grown adult in possession of such a bat.

"Whatever the trigger was for you to have gone into those premises only puts the offence into context.

"But you should not have taken on board another person's argument - and then adopted it.

"You should have stepped back and not got involved."

The Judge said he had reflected on a probation report about Roberts and he had come to the conclusion he could deal with the defendant in a way which allowed him to "reflect and think" before he acted.

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He said: "I am satisfied that there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation which can be achieved by you working with the probation team - understanding, hopefully, how your offending affects others and how to regulate your emotions.

"On occasions it appears to me that you're not always able to look at things calmly.

"You seem to go in like a bull into a china shop - or in your case McDonald's - when it is wholly inappropriate for you to do so in anger."

The Judge handed down a 26 week term of imprisonment, but suspended it for a year.

Roberts must undertake 25 days of rehabilitation activity and 160 hours of unpaid work.

He must also pay £85 costs and a "154 victim surcharge.

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"You're not out of the woods," Judge Jones told him.

"You have to behave and work with probation.

"And I order the deprivation of the bat - you don't get that back."