A KNIFEMAN who threatened to stab his friend smashed up a town centre pub days after being released from prison.

Shaun Scanlon was released from a short imprisonment on Christmas Eve, but just over a week later on Thursday, January 2, caused around £2,000 in damage when he smashed a window at the Firkin Tap on Buttermarket Street.

The 43-year-old admitted assault and causing criminal damage in relation to the incident, as well as failing to comply with supervision requirements, when appearing at Warrington Magistrates Court the following day.

And he was sent back to jail for five weeks by the magistrates.

Scanlon, of no fixed address, was originally imprisoned for 16 months at Chester Crown Court in February 2018 after threatening to stab his friend while brandishing a knife during a drunken row.

One evening the previous month, the defendant had been drinking with this victim – who had offered him a place to stay in order to save him from sleeping on a park bench – before the knife attack.

During the course of the evening, he armed himself with two kitchen knives and began making swiping motions and threats to stab his friend.

Scanlon later described himself as being ’10 out of 10’ for drunkenness at the time of the incident, of which he had ‘little recollection’.

Having been released from prison, he failed to comply with the terms of his licence after skipping an appointment with the probation service and was handed nine days behind bars on Tuesday, December 17.

Scanlon, who was unrepresented at his latest court appearance, was told to pay £2,000 in damages to the Firkin Tap and £50 compensation to the victim of the assault.

He was also banned from entering the pub for a year.