A MAN who swung a metal pole at police officers during a disturbance has been jailed for a year.

Darren James Donohue, of Hayes Avenue, Prescot, was given the prison sentence at Liverpool, Knowsley and St Helens Magistrates’ Court.

Donohue, 34, was charged after the disturbance on Hayes Avenue in Prescot on Monday, August 31.

He was on licence at the time of the offences.

The 34-year-old was charged with possession of an offensive weapon, affray and with making a menacing voice call to 999.

Donohue indicated a guilty plea to possessing an offensive weapon in a public place, namely a metal pole.

He also indicated a guilty plea to affray, for threatening unlawful violence towards others.

During the incident Donohue swung the metal pole at police officers.

The 34-year-old also pleaded guilty to a charge of making a voice call to 999, which was “offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character”.

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Donohue was given a 26-week jail term for the affray charge and another 26 weeks consecutively for possession of the metal pole as a weapon. This made a a total jail term of 52 weeks.

A court document said the offence was considered so serious because Donohue was “on licence at the time”.

It added that the duration and circumstances of the offence also contributed to its seriousness, “involving swinging a metal pole at police officers”.

Donohue was given a four-week concurrent sentence for the voice call.

The court sheet added his guilty pleas were taken into account upon sentencing, with credit given in not committing the case to the Crown Court for sentence.