A Great Boughton man who pulled a syringe out on a street entertainer in Chester city centre on a summer afternoon before threatening to rape and slit the throat of a police officer has been jailed for eight weeks.

Christopher Deakin, of Heath Lane, was convicted of a public order offence at Chester Magistrates Court yesterday (Wednesday, November 5), following the incident on Eastgate Street on August 26.

The court heard that at around 12.30pm that day, the 43-year-old was standing in front of a street performer who had been playing guitar near the Eastgate Clock.

Prosecuting, Catherine Whincup said that CCTV showed Deakin pulling a syringe from his pocket and pointing the needle towards the entertainer.

Deakin - who has a history of mental illness and drug abuse - also struck out at him, ‘without any provocation’.

When Deakin - who pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing - was apprehended by police, he shouted obscenities and said he was going to rape one of the attending police officer’s mother and children and rape another police officer and slit her throat.

Whilst being interviewed by police, Deakin claimed he had no recollection of had happened.

He said he suffered from psychosis, depression and anxiety and was taking medication for those conditions.

He admitted he had been drinking lager that day and said that sometimes when he mixed his medication with alcohol, he ended up in a state like that shown to him on the CCTV.

Deakin also told police that if he had observed the incident, he would not have been happy and would have felt compelled to intervene.

Deakin’s solicitor, Howard Jones, explained that the catalyst of his client’s ‘nonsensical behaviour’ was a recent relationship breakdown, which had caused him to ‘self-destruct’.

“He is completely ashamed of himself,” Mr Jones said.

“The offence itself is nonsensical. There was nothing to be gained from it. He was drunk because he was very depressed and he acted in a way that was very unusual for him.”

Mr Jones added that Deakin has accepted that he needs help and wants help.

Sentencing Deakin to eight weeks in custody, magistrate James Fawson described the offence as ‘extremely nasty’.