By Pam McClounie

Last updated at 11:27, Saturday, 22 September 2012

Horrified shoppers looked on as a dad walked into a Carlisle supermarket armed with a Samurai sword.

John Carney with the sword in the Aldi supermarket

• Video: CCTV footage of Carney with the sword

John Carney, who has been jailed for eight months, walked into Aldi on London Road on July 22 carrying the sword which he dropped in front of a child.

CCTV played at Carlisle Crown Court yesterday showed the scared looks on customers’ faces when they saw Carney, who was under the influence of drink and drugs, with the sword. Carney, 31, is seen approaching a woman with the sword which fell out of his shirt sleeve.

Customers reported the incident to staff at the store who contacted the police.

Prosecutor Alan Lovett said: “Carney said he had found the sword near Aldi and that he was going to keep it.”

At an earlier court appearance Carney, of Lightfoot Drive, Harraby, pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon and yesterday he admitted failing to surrender to his bail on September 6.

The court was told that Carney’s priority is to beat his drug addiction.

Recorder John Gibson, sentencing Carney, said: “The Samurai sword is a nasty looking weapon that could have caused serious injury to others. It’s not apparent why you went into the supermarket at all.

“You were causing alarm to other people but you didn’t conceal it. An aggravating factor is that you were under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time.”

As well as the eight months for possessing the offensive weapon, Carney was given an additional month in jail for failing to surrender to his bail.

First published at 10:50, Saturday, 22 September 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk