A MAN who drunkenly waved a meat cleaver around in a pub where children were present has been spared jail.

Sean McDermott, of Well Lane in Ffynnongroyw, appeared at Mold Crown Court for sentence on Thursday.

The 37-year-old had previously admitted possessing a bladed article in public.

Karl Scholz, prosecuting, told the court that shortly after 6pm on December 12 last year, McDermott entered the Railway pub in Ffynnongroyw.

He was carrying a meat cleaver.

The pub licensee recognised the defendant as he'd been banned - and told him to leave.

He did so, but not before shouting in an agitated and aggressive manner: "Where is Grassy and Tom?"

The police were called and were directed to McDermott's home.

But before they arrived, the defendant returned to the pub and apologised for his behaviour.

Police attended McDermott's home and seized the meat cleaver, which had a blade of seven inches in length and four inches in width.

On his own admission, the defendant had been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the offence.

Amy Edwards, defending, said: "He says to probation that he is incredibly remorseful for what he did that night.

"When he found out children had been present there, it made him feel physically sick.

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"The defendant is aware this is extremely serious and crosses the custody threshold.

"Since losing his mother, and more recently his brother, this defendant is a man who doesn't know how to regulate his emotions in difficult situations and turns to alcohol.

"He says since this offence, he's had a reality check of how detrimental alcohol is to his life."

Ms Edwards said her client had taken steps of his own to begin addressing his drinking problems.

Judge Niclas Parry told the defendant: "You were out of control - so drunk that you didn't know what you were doing, waving this very dangerous weapon in the presence of members of the public and young children.

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"You may not have intended any dreadful consequences but when you're out of control, you could have caused serious injury or worse."

Giving credit for his guilty plea, and taking into account the defendant's efforts to sort out his alcohol use, the Judge handed down a 12 month custodial term, but suspended it for 18 months.

McDermott must undertake 25 days of rehabilitation activity and a 120 day alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement.