A man who turned up at a stranger’s house while carrying an axe in the early hours has been handed a suspended sentence.

David Mark Priestnal denied possessing a prohibited article in a public place but was found guilty by magistrates after a summary court trial.

The 39-year-old, who lives at Darragh Way in Anagh Coar, was sentenced to six months’ custody, suspended for two years and also made the subject of a two-year suspended sentence supervision order.

He was also ordered to pay £600 prosecution costs, to cover the trial costs.

Priestnal turned up at the man’s house in Anagh Coar Road at 4.20am on June 14 while carrying the axe.

He was said to have been drinking beforehand.

The man’s children were upstairs in the house at the time.

Priestnal said that he was looking for his phone but denied carrying the axe, saying that he found it afterwards, then threw it in a flower bed so no children would find it.

Defence advocate Jane Gray said that Priestnal had made the wrong decision to go to the house while he had the axe, but added that, at the time he picked it up, his intentions were good as he had not wanted to leave it where he found it.

Priestnal was ordered to pay the costs at a rate of £15 per week, deducted from benefits.