WHEN neighbours complained about loud music being played during lockdown, a furious man hurled abuse through the adjoining wall and charged out into the street with a knife.

Drunken Christopher Shepherd yelled, "I'm going to kill you. You're going to get knifed."

Bolton Crown Court heard how people living next door to Shepherd's father in Fell Street, Leigh, had endured hours of loud music coming from the property on April 25.

By 10pm neighbours Michaele Maher and Dean Laly had had enough and police were called.

But shortly after officers left, 28-year-old Shepherd began screaming abuse through the wall before he headed outside clutching a large kitchen knife.

"At around 10.45pm the defendant was heard by another neighbour shouting, 'You've grassed on me. I'll do you in. I'm going to hurt you in the morning'," said Eleanor Gleeson, prosecuting.

"The defendant was, at this point, about a foot away from the front door of Miss Maher's house."

Miss Maher was alerted to Shepherd's presence by one of her children and saw him, though the window, ranting outside.

The knifeman continued yelling for several minutes before threatening: "I am going to stab you, I'll bury you and your boyfriend".

He then headed from the garden into the street, waving the knife, before throwing it into the middle of the roadway and returning to his father's house.

In a victim statement read out in court Miss Maher said: "This incident has made me really upset.

"It has affected my children. It's not fair."

Shepherd, of Dickinson Street West, Horwich, pleaded guilty to possessing a knife.

"He had been drinking. Somebody had taken his dog into care because he was too drunk to look after it and that's why he acted in such a silly manner," said Paul Treble. defending.

At the time Shepherd, who has nine previous convictions, was subject to a suspended prison sentence for using threatening behaviour and theft.

Mr Treble told Judge Timothy Stead how Shepherd's mother died four years ago and he has difficulty expressing his emotions, is easily influenced and has had problems with alcohol and drugs.

However, Shepherd, who is autistic, has now worked well with the probation service and has stopped offending.

"This man is doing everything he can to turn his life around," said Mr Treble.

Judge Stead said the efforts Shepherd has made to change his life are "commendable" and sentenced him to six months in prison, suspended for two years.

He will be subject to a 7pm to 6am curfew for 28 days and must undertake an alcohol treatment programme and 25 days of rehabilitation activities.

In addition a restraining order was made banning him from going to Fell Street or contacting his victims.