A man who hacked at furniture with a machete in a Chippenham pub was told he would be sentenced at crown court when he appeared before magistrates in the town on Tuesday.

Matthew Harris, 27, of Clover Dean, Chippenham pleaded guilty to criminal damage to two chairs, threatening unlawful violence towards others and using a knife in a public place.

Keith Ballinger, prosecuting, said that on July 14 Harris took a machete-style knife purchased for £5 at a charity shop into the Kingfisher, in Hungerdown Lane, Chippenham.

Mr Ballinger said Harris had been drinking at the pub since midday with his girlfriend and her family, as his girlfriend’s cousin had died the day before.

He said that after getting into a verbal fight with his girlfriend, Harris apparently was in a physical fight with her brother, Daniel Thompson.

He left and returned around 20 minutes later with a machete, with the intentions of attacking Mr Thompson, but by this time the family were no longer in the pub.

Mr Ballinger said Harris began to cut at furniture, shouting at the remaining patrons and the landlords to get out of the pub.

Harris called the police control room from the public telephone in the pub, telling them that he was going to do something stupid and refused to leave his details.

However, the police were able to trace the call to the Kingfisher pub and arrived to arrest Harris.

Michael Wills, defending, said that Harris is receiving professional psychiatric care.

Harris was granted bail on condition he does not return to the Kingfisher Pub and does not attempt to contact Daniel Thompson.

He was remanded to Swindon Crown Court for sentence on a date to be fixed.