A MAN so enraged his beloved shed would be torn down as part of renovation works that he pulled a knife on a contractor has been jailed.

Michael Kearney, of Foresters Tower, Wood Farm Road, Oxford, had denied one count of threatening another with a bladed article but a jury unanimously convicted him yesterday.

As his trial at Oxford Crown Court came to an end the 47-year old, who has a number of previous convictions, showed no emotion as he was told he would serve a 15 month prison term for the offence.

Jailing him Judge Maria Lamb said: "The public has to be protected from you when you are unable to control your temper.

"Your offending appears to have escalated to the point that you are now prepared to go out and threaten members of the public."

During the trial the court heard that Kearney had been told that his shed would be demolished as part of extensive renovation works at the Oxford tower blocks.

Furious and demanding answers he happened upon two workers involved with the renovation from Willmott Dixon at Knights Road, near to the Windrush tower, on October 5 last year. and quickly became abusive.

He pulled out a Stanley knife and held it the throat of contractor Nigel Greenridge before the workers fled the scene and Kearney was arrested.

In mitigation, Kearney's defence counsel said that he had been a long-standing alcoholic with mental health issues but had since tried to turn his life around while in prison.

An alternative count of possessing the bladed article which had been put to Kearney was not proceeded with following his conviction.