A CHARD funeral worker who flagged down the police due to a disturbance outside a town centre pub ended up being arrested himself after saying he was going to get a baseball bat and “sort out” a male who was at the scene

Brad Anthony David Chard ignored the officer’s warnings to stop after trouble flared outside the Cerdic public house.

Instead he went back to his address but returned carrying two pieces of wood saying he had got them in order to defend himself.

A court was told that the defendant had not even been involved in the original disturbance but had just wanted to protect a female who was in the area at the time, which was why he stopped the police car.

Chard, 24, of Essex Close, pleaded guilty to being in possession of an offensive weapon, namely two pieces of wood, in Fore Street, Chard, on May 19 when he appeared before Somerset Magistrates at Yeovil.

Prosecutor Emma Lenanton said that the police received reports of a large disturbance in Chard town centre at 3.30am and attended promptly where they were flagged down by the defendant outside the Cerdic pub.

He approached the officers and pointed up Fore Street where a group were about 200 metres away and said “I’m going to get a baseball bat and sort him out”, she said.

He walked away and the police told him to stop but he replied “Do your job" and swore at the officer.

“The officer dealt with the other males and the group was sent on its way, but then they saw Chard stood outside the pub with something in his hand,” said Miss Lenanton.

“He could see the defendant was holding two pieces of wood, but he the handed them over and said he had got them from his flat and had them to defend himself.

“During interview he admitted the offence saying he went home and got a piece of wood and said that when the lads saw the wood they all went quiet and went down town.

“He said he would only have used it if they had held a knife out at him and said that at the beginning of the incident a male had threatened to stab him which was why he behaved in the way he did.”

Defending solicitor Neil Priest said that Chard had worked as a funeral director for the last 10 years and was due to start a new job working at a hospital.

“He suffers from bipolar which is illustrated by his thought process that night,” he said. “Ironically he had nothing to do with the disturbance and wanted to protect a young lady who was in the area and that is why he flagged down the police.

“However he did not go around it in the right way because he went home and picked up two pieces of wood and turned up with them just in case he was going to be assaulted as there had been mention by people that they were going to stab him.”

He said that Chard was very sorry for the mistake he made and didn’t actually threaten anyone with the wood and did not use it.

He handed them over voluntarily to the police and said it was a stupid thing he did as he had no intention of using them,” he said.

“He now wants this case dealt with so he can move on with his life and it is a shame he will now have that conviction on his previously unblemished record.”

The magistrates fined the defendant £346 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £34 victim surcharge. They also ordered that the wood should be destroyed.