A MAN armed himself with a Samurai sword and a kitchen knife after receiving threats for sleeping with another man’s girlfriend.

Bolton Crown Court heard how Jordan Greenhalgh was so frightened he reported his concerns to the police on February 3.

Later that night, 21- year-old Greenhalgh, together with Paolo Hilton, aged 18, drove to the Blockbuster DVD hire shop on Outwood Road, Radcliffe, putting the sword and the knife in their VW Golf to use for protection, Peter Cave, prosecuting, told the court.

“They must have been followed and were attacked by a group of men with baseball bats,” said Mr Cave.

Up to 40 people were involved in the attack, during which Greenhalgh suffered a cut head, bruised face and lost a front tooth.

Greenhalgh and Hilton escaped on foot and, later, Greenhalgh approached police, saying he wanted to recover possessions from his car. Officers accompanying him saw the sword and knife in the vehicle and he was arrested.

Hilton was also arrested after a member of the public saw him running off behind Radcliffe library.

Greenhalgh, of Seddon Close, Radcliffe, and Hilton, of Outwood Road, Radcliffe, both pleaded guilty to possession of the sword and knife.

Sentencing Greenhalgh to three months in prison, suspended for 12 months, Recorder Michael Murray told him he was “misguided and naive” to have put the weapons in his car.

Hilton was sentenced to a community order for 12 months and ordered to spend 24 hours at an attendance centre.