A drunken man threatened staff in a Norwich kebab shop with a knife and then caused staff in a neighbouring fish and chip shop to lock themselves in for their own protection, a court heard.

A drunken man threatened staff in a Norwich kebab shop with a knife and then caused staff in a neighbouring fish and chip shop to lock themselves in for their own protection, a court heard.

Oliver Gates, 34, wrongly accused staff in the kebab shop in Catton Grove Road of short-changing him before drawing a knife, Norwich Crown Court heard.

Kebab shop owner Hashem Khodaverdillo tried to disarm him before Gates ran to a nearby fish and chip shop, still carrying the knife.

When he left the shop, they locked the doors and Gates was then tackled again by the kebab shop owner who hit him with a piece of wood to get him to drop the knife.

When police arrived and arrested Gates he said he had the knife because he had been fishing.

Gates of Ives Road, Catton, Norwich, admitted affray in May this year.

Recorder Anthony Bate jailed him for three months suspended for 18 months and ordered him to do 200 hours unpaid work and pay £700 towards prosecution costs.

He told him: “This happened in a public place and small shopkeepers and members of the public were put in fear.”

He accepted it was out of character for Gates as he had mixed alcohol with prescribed drugs.

Jonathan Morgans, mitigating, said: “He accepts full responsibility. He got himself in a state and behaved in a way that was out of character. It was a combination of medication and drink.”

Mr Morgans added that the only person injured that night was Gates as he had to have his arm in plaster for 14 weeks.