Weapon-wielding Steven Messham has been spared jailed after claiming he picked up a clawhammer during a street brawl with a group of men.

The 29-year-old was out in High Street, Leek, at around 8pm on April 4 when he became involved in a confrontation with two men who had been spotted by town centre CCTV operators.

Security cameras showed him swinging at one of the men before he was seen crouching behind a car and pulling out a claw hammer.

Messham, of Broad Street in Leek, has now been handed a 12-month community order after admitting possessing an offensive weapon at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Prosecutor Katie Fox said: "CCTV shows Messham with another male. They are approached by two men and he takes three swings, pulls up his top, and raises his arms.


"He then crouches beside a car and removes a claw hammer from under it. He told police it was for self-protection and then said he was jumped and hit with it.

"At the time he was drunk and made a no comment interview."

Messham wrote to the court to explain why he had the hammer.

He said: "On April 4 I wanted to go and see my ex, to speak to her, but when I was in High Street I was surrounded by five people - they surrounded me and hit me with something solid.

"I saw the hammer, picked it up, and put it in my pocket until I hid it under the car. The video shows them returning a second time and me chasing them off."


Anis Ali, mitigating, asked the court to spare his client from an immediate custodial sentence.

He said: "He is in full-time employment and is in a position where he can do work in the community."

Judge David Fletcher opted to hand Messham with a 12-month community order. He will also have to pay £350 court costs.

The judge said: "The weapon was a hammer and was not used to threaten or cause fear."

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