Watch terrifying moment homemade spear taken from shirtless man in South Tyneside shopping centre

John Fell, who has also armed with a hammer, had attached a knife to the end of a crutch and was seen carrying the weapons at the Viking Centre, in Jarrow, in March.

Newcastle Crown Court heard police had received reports of a "large man" armed with a hammer and knife at the precinct.

Shocking police video shows tattooed Fell holding the homemade weapon, while wearing just a pair of shorts, outside Wilko.

The 37-year-old, who was "noticeably confused" had white powder around his nose and was carrying a small amount of cocaine in his pocket.

Prosecutor Peter Sabiston told the court: "Officers attended, readied their tasers and warned him to calm down.

"Mr Fell responded, in fact he was reasonably calm.

"He presented a very frightening spectacle.

"Police tried to reassure him they were there to help him.

"He put the weapons on the floor, which were removed from him, and he was handcuffed."

At the time, Fell was under investigation for driving his Audi the wrong way around roundabouts and on the wrong side of the road in Gosforth, Newcastle,where he caused a crash with another car before he fled on foot and made his getaway on a bus last September.

He then forced his way into the home of a couple and their ten-year-old daughter, who he left traumatised and he had to be tasered by the police.

The family were left suffering flashbacks and were terrified during the intrusion.

Fell, of Redhouse Road, Hebburn, admitted dangerous driving, common assault, using violence to enter premises, resisting a police constable, two charges of having offensive weapons and one of possessing cocaine.

Mr recorder Tahir Khan QC sentenced him to 20 months behind bars.

The judge said Fell suffers from mental ill health but told him it was "largely because of you having taken drugs".

Glenn Gatland, defending, said Fell turned to drugs after the breakdown of a relationship and suffers from drug induced paranoid ideation.

In a letter to the couple whose home he raided, Fell said: "I am appalled by my actions, I can't apologise enough, I have actually lost sleepbecause of this situation I have caused to these people.

"I can't stress enough how sorry I am."

Fell said he was sorry for the driving offences and that his behaviour was due to a "breakdown", adding: "There are no excuses or reasons valid enough to try to explain, other than I am sincerely sorry for my actions.

"I am disgusted by my behaviour, to say the least."