A WESTON man has admitted it was ‘not a wise move’ to knock on his neighbours’ door while carrying a samurai sword because he thought they were walking on his roof.

Shaun Moloney, of Clevedon Road, admitted to magistrates on Friday to one count of carrying an offensive weapon in public.

The 41-year-old called police on October 29 because he heard noises coming from the roof of his semi-detached home and thought he saw someone walking on it.

Calls to the police and a visit to the adjoining home failed to satisfy him and when it happened again the following day, Moloney visited his neighbours again.

Jane Cooper, prosecuting, told North Somerset Courthouse, Moloney wanted to go into their garden to see the roof.

Ms Cooper said Moloney told police ‘he felt his property was under attack’ and the ornamental sword – which had a four to five-inch blade – was picked up purely to scare rather than injure.

David Rees, one of the tenants living in the house adjoining Moloney’s, answered the door.

In a statement read to the court, he said: “When I saw the sword, I thought he was going to cause harm but he said he wanted to go into the garden and look for people on the roof.”

Nigel Yeo, defending, said: “With the benefit of hindsight there were other steps he (Moloney) could have taken that were more rational and logical.”

He said the police were ‘dismissive’ to his original complaint causing Moloney to have a sleepless night and therefore not act as sensibly the following day and pick up the sword, which was in his frontgarden ready to be thrown away with the rubbish.

Mr Yeo added: “He knocked on the door with the sword pointing down… He certainly wasn’t going to threaten someone in that household.

“He was frightened and didn’t sleep the night before so was very tired but he accepts that it wasn’t the wisest move on his part to go around with a sword.”

Chris Barke, chair of the bench, failed to accept Mr Yeo’s claim this was a ‘trifling matter’ because Moloney only walked a short distance with the sword.

He said: “Nobody picks up a weapon of that nature without some mal-intention in mind.”

Moloney was handed a 12-month community order and must undertake 100 hours of unpaid work. He must pay £85 costs and £60 victim surcharge. The sword will be destroyed.