Boozed-up man pulled knife in pub car park to protect son after fruit machine fracas

Lee Tannahill got a "panicked" phone call from his "vulnerable" 18-year-old son saying "it was all kicking off" at the Ram Inn, on Mansfield Road, Arnold, on September 11, last year.

When Tannahill, aged 46, arrived there was a "big altercation" in the carpark, after his son and two men were ejected from the pub, said prosecutor Julia King at Nottingham Crown Court.

"All parties were pushing each other and shoving," she said. "The defendant was clearly angry and was swinging his fists. He kept the knife by his side."

Tannahill's son disarmed him and "matters de-escalated fairly quickly."

But he was pulled over by police shortly afterwards and a breath test revealed he had 63 mcgs of alcohol when the legal limit is 35 mcgs.

He told officers that he drove over because “he feared the worst," and only had the knife in the car because he had previously used it to cut a cake.

Wiliam Bennett, mitigating, said: "The question has to be - why does a man, who hasn't been in trouble since 1994, act in this way?”

"Two men had put an awful lot of money into a gaming machine and the defendant's son rocked up and won big," he explained.

Tannahill had a drink at lunchtime and hadn't planned on going out when he got the call.

"He wasn't thinking straight and he zooms off," he said. "He foolishly picked up the knife. He never makes a motion with it. This is a short incident.”

Nottingham Crown Court heard Tannahill experienced a family tragedy which also had a profound impact on his son.

"He has stopped drinking and started talking, and, strangely enough, things have gotten a lot better,” Mr Bennett said.

Tannahill, of Milverton Road, pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour, drink-driving, and possession of a blade, on September 29.

Recorder Stuart Sprawson imposed a six-month sentence, suspended for two years, with 15 rehabilitation days and 80 hours of unpaid work. Tannahill was fined £150 with £425 costs. He was banned for 16 months, but a drink-driving course will reduce the disqualification by 25 per cent if he completes it.