A Suffolk man who pulled out a knife in a busy street and held it above his head as he approached a man who was out with his family has been jailed for 22 weeks.

Joe Whitten was walking along Stanley Street, Lowestoft on the afternoon of April 20 with his son, partner and mother when he heard Jason Pearce make a rude remark to his mother.

Mr Whitten asked Pearce: 'Who do you think you are talking to?' and then saw Pearce pull out a knife and walk towards him holding the knife above his head with the blade pointing downwards.

'He was walking purposefully towards him and Mr Whitten was genuinely in fear that the knife was going to be used to the area of his head and chest,' said Jude Durr, prosecuting.

Mr Whitten's mother intervened and Pearce was later arrested.

Pearce, 46, of Stanley Street, Lowestoft admitted threatening Mr Whitten with a knife.

He was jailed for 22 weeks and will be eligible for immediate release as he has been in custody since April.

Nicola May for Pearce said he suffered from depression which had got worse at the time of the offence.