A 49-year-old man who answered the door to police in his underpants and holding a large Rambo knife has been sentenced to community service.

Anthony Robert Glennon, of Hillside Terrace, Douglas, admitted threatening behaviour and was ordered by High Bailiff Jayne Hughes to do 100 hours of unpaid work.

Glennon had previously pleaded not guilty to the charge but on the day of his trial he changed his plea to guilty to a redrafted version of the charge.

Prosecuting advocate James Robinson told the court that police were called to Glennon’s home on October 11 at 10.14pm after a complaint about noise.

The witness said that Glennon was shouting and making inappropriate comments.

When officers arrived they could hear a man shouting so they knocked on Glennon’s door.

Glennon then opened it, dressed only in his underpants, and stood in the doorway holding what police described as a ’large Rambo knife’.

Police immediately backed away from him and drew their Pava spray, telling him to drop the knife.

He then threw it into a neighbour’s garden and was subsequently arrested.

When interviewed he admitted the offence and said he had the knife because he was scared.

Glennon entered a basis of plea in which he said he had no intention of using the knife and did not know it was the police at the door.

He said that he had consumed alcohol but was not drunk.

Defence advocate Jane Gray said that her client was a self-employed gardener who had not been able to work during lockdown.

Ms Gray handed in references for Glennon which described him as a ’polite, friendly and quiet man who does not bother anyone’.

A doctor’s report was also submitted details of which were not read in open court.

High Bailiff Jayne Hughes told Glennon: ’Clearly you were under some influence of alcohol.

’Your behaviour was such that two police officers felt threatened by it.

’Why you chose to go to the door dressed like that and holding a knife I don’t know.

’The fact you said you didn’t know it was the police makes matters worse as it could have been a child or old lady or anyone at the door.’

Mrs Hughes also ordered Glennon to pay £850 prosecution costs, due to the preparation work done for the trial which had been due to be held.

He will pay the costs at a rate of £20 per fortnight.