A man carrying a table leg was tasered by armed police when he caused a disturbance after a car accident on a busy Norwich road.

Norwich Crown Court heard Nicholas James, 45, came out of his home armed with the table leg after hearing the noise of the collision.

He then became abusive to a small group gathered to help at the scene.

Nick Bleaney, prosecuting, said James had become aggressive and shouted at them saying: 'Why is everyone outside my house?'

He challenged one of the men to a fight and a police armed response team was called and James had to be tasered and then arrested.

He said James was found to have a knuckle-duster and an extendable baton in his pocket, although these weapons were not produced.

James, of Thorpe Road, admitted affray on October 14 and possession of two offensive weapons, the knuckle-duster and the extendable baton.

Gavin Cowe, defending, said James, who has a broken hip and is taking 13 different types of prescribed medication for his health problems, had been plagued by noise problems at his address as motorcyclists regularly gathered near his home and he thought the noise was something to do with his property being damaged.

Mr Cowe said: 'He went out in a state of upset.'

Mr Cowe said James accepted he had gone out in a confrontational manner and said: 'He is ashamed of those actions and has pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.'

He said that James had not produced the weapons found in his pocket.

Judge Andrew Shaw said it was an 'unpleasant' incident and told James: 'You went outside your house in anger, armed with a table leg. You had to be tasered by armed police such was the heightened state you were in.'

However he accepted James had a number of health problems and was on 13 different prescribed medications which he had mixed with alcohol that evening.

He imposed a 12-month jail sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered him to take part in an alcohol treatment programme and a thinking skills programme.

He told James: 'I am giving you a chance.'

However he warned if he breached it he would go straight to prison.