Downham Market man Paul Shore spotted by police carrying sledgehammer down Paradise Road

A man who was walking down a busy street in Downham with a sledgehammer had intended to use it on another man – but was caught by police before anybody was harmed.

Paul Shore, 54, of Lancaster Crescent in the market town, admitted to the offence of carrying an offensive weapon in a public place in a hearing at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

Prosecutor Qamar Iqbal explained that on July 20, Shore was spotted carrying a sledgehammer by officers on patrol on Paradise Road.

He was heard by officers saying: “I told you I was going to fight that guy with a bat” and was later heard saying he could “fight him without it (the sledgehammer).

In mitigation, George Sorrell said that Shore remained honest with police officers throughout.

“If he kept his mouth shut, while it’s illegal to go about the streets with this, it wouldn’t have been so bad.”

Mr Sorrell added that Shore has been struggling with a number of health conditions including a heart disorder and a slipped disc.

Magistrate John Hare said: “I think because of your general health and guilty plea we are going to deal with this with a conditional discharge.”

Shore was handed an 18-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £26 and court costs of £50.