Neighbour pulled samurai sword on man he thought was buying drugs from Leeds housing complex

Sixty-three-year-old Martin Leeks confronted the man as he did his laundry in communal area of the Harrison Potter Trust Homes on Lovell Road in Sheepscar.

The victim had left his mobility scooter near to the area and Leeks angrily approached him, mistakenly thinking he was there to buy drugs from a known dealer who lived nearby, Leeds Crown Court heard.

Leeks then walked away before returning with the sword, showing it the man. When the man turned his back, Leeks called him a “black b******”.

Following his arrest, he made full admissions and said he had no intention of using the sword. He said he even went to the victim’s home to apologise. He admitted charge of threatening or abusive words or behaviour.

Mitigating, Anthony Sugare said Leeks, of Lovell Road, Sheepscar, said he never removed the sword from its sheath and it was part of a set he kept as ornaments.

He said: “He accepts his behaviour was out of order. He thought he (the victim) was there to buy drugs. It’s not to excuse his behaviour but it’s the reason it started in the first place.”

Judge Kate Rayfield told Leeks: “You can’t go around shouting at everybody who might be buying drugs and you can’t get a samurai sword out. But it was very short lived and you are not proud of yourself and genuinely remorseful.”

She gave him a 12-month community order and 60 hours of unpaid work.