A holiday camp manager has been jailed after he threatened a stranger with a 13 inch carving knife in a crowded pub.
Customers and doormen disarmed Kieran Wild who had gone home to fetch the knife after an altercation in the centre of Exmouth.
He had sunk 20 pints of lager after splitting up with his girlfriend and had already caused trouble at another pub where he pestered guests who were celebrating a family christening.
He caused one couple to leave the event but followed them and was pushed over in a confrontation in the street. An off duty police officer told him to go home but he returned with a knife to seek out the couple.
Wild walked into the York pub with the knife concealed in his waistband and went up to the two people and pulled up his shirt to reveal the weapon.
Victims Jordan Javadi and Olivia Graham were so frightened they ran out of the pub and Wild was seen brandishing the knife before he was grabbed by door staff and customers, who held him until police arrived.
Wild, aged 23, of Victoria Road, Exmouth, admitted having a knife in a public place and was jailed for 12 months by Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, at Exeter Crown Court.
He told him:"You approached Mr Javadi and his girlfriend and made several aggressive comments. You had been binge drinking and were extremely drunk and admit you were waving the knife around.
"You say you had no intention of using it to harm anyone but when people are drunk and in possession of knives the most appalling accidents can occur.
"In this case it is of particular significance that you went home after the first part of the incident and equipped yourself with a carving knife."
Mr James Taghdissian, prosecuting, said Mr Javadi and Miss Graham were at a family party in the Number Nine Bar in Exmouth on December 14 when Wild started pestering them.
His behaviour caused them to leave but he followed and stopped them outside the Spoken bar, where he was pushed to the ground after raising his fists.
The incident was witnessed by an off duty policeman who showed him his warrant card and told him to go home. Mr Javadi and Miss Graham moved on to the York.
Mr Taghdissian said:"He walked in, asked who had pushed him, then approached Mr Javadi and raised his shirt to reveal the knife in his waistband. Mr Javadi feared what would happen next and grabbed his partner and got her into the street outside.
"Other bar staff became aware he had the knife and door staff removed him and detained him on the floor until police arrived."
He told them he had fallen out with his partner and drunk 20 pints. He said he took the knife to scare Mr Javadi and had no intention of using it.
Mr Nigel Wraith, defending, said Wild was very upset after splitting up with his partner and moving into a bedsit.
He said he come to Devon to start a new life working at the Sandy Bay holiday park where he had worked his way up from being a barman to being an assistant manager.
He now plans to return to his roots in Oldham and would welcome help from the probation service to prevent further binge drinking.
He is sorry for what he has done and has apologised to Mr Javadi via Facebook.
