A DRUNKEN man who waved a large kitchen knife in a street fight in Oxford has been spared a prison sentence.

Martin East, 26, of Weyland Road, Headington, was arrested after being seen in the street near his house with the weapon on the evening of May 4 last year.

Oxford Crown Court was told he was seen waving a large, serrated kitchen knife at a man who had hit him with a piece of wood.

Cathy Olliver, prosecuting, told the court the man with the wood then struck East in the lower back with a sledgehammer.

Judge Ian Pringle heard East suffered a fractured right cheek, cuts and bruises in the incident.

He was also told the man East claimed attacked him has been charged with causing grievous bodily harm, over which he faces a trial.

Benjamin Narain, defending, said his client had been drunk and could not remember anything about the fight.

He said: “This is clearly serious in terms of having a knife in a public place. But in terms of the use he made of it, he waves it in a small motion and it is clear he does nothing to Mr Greenhough.

“He still feels great remorse.”

East admitted possessing a bladed article in public and was sentenced to a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, with 12 months supervision.