A man who chased another man down a busy Swindon street armed with a golf club has appeared in court.

Matthew McPherson, 31, of School Lane, East Garston, Hungerford, pleaded guilty to the use of threatening and abusive behaviour and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place at Swindon Magistrates Court on November 27.

The court heard from Mr Ballinger, prosecuting, that on July 28 police responded to reports of McPherson chasing an unknown male down Cricklade Road with a golf club in hand.

McPherson had gone to his ex-partner’s home, who he was said to be in an on-and-off relationship, and after climbing onto the roof and knocking on the bedroom window, he saw she had brought a male back, who she had met at a bar earlier that evening.

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He then waited for the man to leave before chasing him with the weapon then got into his vehicle and drove off.

McPherson handed himself into the police the following day.

In mitigation, Mr Jameson, defending, explained that McPherson believed he and his ex were still officially together at the time of the incident and he had been away and returned to see her.

Prior to leaving, the pair had shared their locations on their mobile phones and he saw hers moving around town after she had left it in a taxi, so he went to retrieve it and was knocking on her door in an attempt to return the device.

He accepted he climbed onto the roof to find out what was going on, but then when the man opened the curtains, he saw they were both naked and this triggered a fit of rage.

McPherson, who keeps golf clubs in his vehicle, “rather stupidly” grabbed one and waited for the man to exit the property, before chasing him down the road.

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Mr Jameson said there was “no realistic possibility that he would have hit him with it” as there was some distance between McPherson and the man.

However, McPherson is currently on conditional bail and wearing an electronic tag pending a hearing on Friday, December 6 at Stratford Magistrates Court for a domestic assault charge against his former partner.

His next hearing at Swindon Magistrates Court is scheduled for Monday, December 9 following the outcome of his trial on the Friday.

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