A KNIFE wielding Ipswich drunk has been told to stay away from his neighbours. Daniel Bird had drunk six cans of strong lager before going to his neighbour's Nightingale Road flat brandishing a knife.

A KNIFE wielding Ipswich drunk has been told to stay away from his neighbours.

Daniel Bird had drunk six cans of strong lager before going to his neighbour's Nightingale Road flat brandishing a knife.

Gareth Davies, prosecuting at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court, said Glen Fulcher and his pregnant partner Yvonne Crawford had been in the upstairs flat when they saw Bird return to his downstairs flat with some cans of beer.

Mr Davies said: “Later Bird had been drinking and at several points during the day the defendant came upstairs and kicked at the door.”

As the day went on the 34-year-old defendant persisted with knocking and swearing and the police were called.

Mr Davies added: “The police were in the flat talking to Mr Fulcher when they heard the defendant outside. He was brandishing a kitchen knife with a six-inch blade.”

He said Bird struggled with police before finally being arrested.

Bird, who is currently living at Kemble Road, pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour. He told police he believed Mr Fulcher was being “derogatory” towards him and he had gone to confront him.

He said he had the knife to protect himself against Mr Fulcher.

District Judge David Cooper excluded Bird from going to Mr Fulcher's flat for a year and put him on an 18-month community order including supervision and a substance abuse programme.

Judge Cooper said: “It is not a case of punishment, it is a case of positive intervention”.