Man who chased ‘friend of a friend’ along a busy South Shields road with a samurai sword was so drunk he can't remember why

Symington, of Wenlock Road in South Shields admitted to chasing a “friend of a friend” with a samurai sword along the street on Saturday, July 25.

The incident took place shortly after 6pm and prompted an armed response unit from Northumbria Police to attend the scene.

Symington went back into his flat as police arrived, where he threw two samurai swords down to the street.

When officers gained entry, they found a third sword at the top of the stairs and swiftly arrested the 51-year-old.

The court heard that Alan Symington was so intoxicated at the time of the incident that he cannot recall the reason for chasing the other man with the sword.

District Judge Kate Meek granted Symington unconditional bail and referred the case to the Crown Court for sentencing, warning him that a custodial sentence would be “highly possible”.

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