A TEENAGER who made fun of a man who fell over while playing football with his children produced a knife and threatened to 'cut him'.

Paul Butler admitted threatening behaviour and possession of a bladed article during what a judge called 'a pointless and stupid altercation' which began when he was challenged by the man he had mocked.

The 18-year-old of Smite Caravan Site, near Hindlip, appeared at Hereford Crown Court on Wednesday having admitted the offences at an earlier hearing at magistrates court.

Butler was sitting in the van when its horn sounded after Kamran Jaff fell over while playing football with his two children at Dukes Meadow Playing Fields in Malvern on Sunday, October 18 last year.

Charles Hamer, prosecuting, said: "At some stage he (Kamran Jaff) fell over. At that point he heard a horn sounding, a motor horn from a van parked relatively close.

"He went to find out what was going on."

Mr Hamer said Mr Jaff thought the sounding of the horn had been 'aimed at him' and then 'went to have a word' with the occupants of the van, one of whom was Butler.

He added: "There was a verbal exchange between them in which the defendant said 'it was funny, you falling over' and Mr Jaff said 'no, it wasn't funny. I was playing with my children'.

"Matters escalated and the defendant produced a knife. The knife had been in the vehicle."

The knife was described as a vegetable knife with a 6cm (2.4 inch) blade.

The knife was either handed to Butler by someone else in the van or he reached for it and later discarded by a young woman, Mr Hamer told the court.

Mr Jaff demanded Butler hand over the knife which he refused to do, telling him: "It's funny. Now walk away before I cut you."

Mr Hamer said: "My Jaff was alarmed and felt intimidated. The defendant at that stage had left the motor vehicle and was stood in front of Mr Jaff, about half a foot away.

"There were threats both physical and verbal. There was a repeat of a threat. Mr Jaff said 'give me the knife or I will take it off you myself'.

"The response was 'I'm not not going to give you the knife. Move away or I will cut you'."

Butler received a caution at the age of 16 for producing cannabis (a single plant).

Richard Hull, defending, said Butler held the knife down and inside the door of the van.

Though the verbal threats were 'highly unpleasant' they were not delivered with the blade 'thrust upwards' Mr Hull told the court.

Mr Hull said Butler's one caution related to the cultivation of a single cannabis plant and that he worked with horses and cutting hay bales but that he received modest financial support from his mother.

He said: "Perhaps matters have been a little bit too comfortable for him."

Judge Daniel Pearce-Higgins gave Butler credit for his early guilty pleas.

He said: "It was a pointless and stupid altercation between a couple of men with other people involved as well. He produced a knife. Quite why he had a knife with him is unclear."

He sentenced Butler to nine months in prison for possession of the bladed article and three months concurrently for the public order offence but suspended the sentence for two years.

Butler must also complete 150 hours of unpaid work and 10 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement.

He must pay a victim surcharge of £140 but the judge waived the £320 costs asked for by the prosecution.

He also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the knife.