GAZETTE & HERALD: MOTORIST Steven Davies reduced a lorry driver to tears after he wielded a Mighty Morphin Power Rangers' sword at him, a court has heard.

Bristol Crown Court was told the drama unfolded when Davies, 47, of Tupman Road, Corsham, attempted to drive past a lorry at a building site.

When lorry driver Michael Raisey screamed abuse from his cab and gesticulated at the defendant to stop, a row erupted.

Father-of-two Davies managed to reach his former home in Glastonbury, Somerset, but returned moments later brandishing his daughter's plastic Power Rangers' sword.

Mr Raisey claimed the sword was pointed at his throat and immediately apologised, the court was told.

However when Davies left the scene Mr Raisey phoned the police in tears.

When Davies was later arrested and interviewed he said he had acted during a moment of madness.

On Thursday Davies denied one charge of affray but admitted a lesser offence of causing fear or provocation of violence.

Outlining the events of July 15, Kenneth Bell, prosecuting, said Mr Raisey had started the row.

"Mr Raisey was parked in his lorry. The first abusive words were spoken by him when he saw the defendant turn into the road in his car," said Mr Bell.

"He didn't appreciate that the defendant lived in the road and was trying to indicate to the defendant that he could not go down the road.

"The lorry driver swore which annoyed the defendant. He went back to his house and, having spent some minutes there to reflect and calm down, he came back with a sword and went back to the cab and spoke in a threatening manner to Mr Raisey. He waved the sword with the point towards him saying he would 'have him'.

"Mr Raisey thought he was going to stick the sword into his neck and was very frightened."

Mr Bell said afterwards Mr Raisey was sufficiently frightened to phone the police. "He was actually crying which is an unusual thing for a lorry driver to do," said the prosecutor.

Jonathan Stanniland, defending, said that Davies had tried to reason with the lorry driver.

"Before he took that sword from his daughter's toy box he had tried to speak reasonably to Mr Raisey and explain that he lived on the site and had done for 20 years," said Mr Stanniland.

"He snapped and explained in no uncertain terms to Mr Raisey that he could not talk to him like that. He says he did not threaten Mr Raisey with the toy sword but accepts the man was scared and had apologised to him," said Mr Stanniland.

Judge Susan Darwall Smith imposed a two-year conditional discharge and ordered Davies to pay £100 costs.