AN assault victim chased his attacker through the streets brandishing a meat cleaver when he woke up to find a man in his house.

Steven Kent was seen running barefoot in Manchester Road, Kearsley, at lunchtime on September 18 last year with the cleaver in his hand, chasing a man, Bolton Crown Court heard.

Kevin Liston, defending, told Judge Graeme Smith how Kent, of Tong Street, Kearsley, had woken to find the unnamed man in his home assaulting his partner.

When 32-year-old Kent was also assaulted he grabbed the cleaver and gave chase to the man.

Rachel White, prosecuting, said witnesses described Kent as agitated, with blood on his mouth and a cut hand.

Kent did not catch the man, and when police called at his home a short time later he claimed he had been holding a mobile phone not a cleaver.

He pleaded guilty to possessing a knife in public, however.

Witnesses described seeing Kent chasing an Asian man, but Mr Liston stressed that there was no racial motive to the crime and no threats were made to other members of the public in the area.

“It was an incident borne out of some provocation. He is remorseful,” said Mr Liston.

Sentencing Kent to nine months in prison, suspended for a year, Judge Smith told Kent there were unusual circumstances which led to him having the knife in public.

“That was entirely the wrong thing to do and you accept that,” said Judge Smith.

Kent was also told he will be subject to six months’ supervision by the probation service and must pay £300 costs.