A man threatened an autistic boy after grabbing hold of the handlebars of his bicycle, a court heard.

Owen Bush, of Wycar Road, Bilsthorpe, had targeted him and a second 14-year-old in the Bilsthorpe park in June.

Nottingham Crown Court heard his "principle leisure activity" was hanging around Bilsthorpe in drink and carrying a knife, said Siward James-Moore, prosecuting.

Bush, drunk and stumbling, had pulled out a knife from his waistband for five to six seconds during the parkland incident.

The boys escaped when another person said "leave it, they are only kids".

Days later, Bush was said to have made a beeline towards them, but the autistic boy phoned his sister.

She travelled to the park with her partner.

The partner asked Bush if he had threatened "my lassy's little brother with a knife" but Bush denied doing so.

When he was asked if he carried a knife, he said: "Yes, I've just got out of prison and had had some trouble in Notts."

"As they left, the defendant shouted back he was going to get his brothers and got a red-handled lock knife from his sock", said Mr James-Moore.

The autistic boy's head teacher said he had since become withdrawn and was often quite low.

Owen Bush has been jailed for possessing a knife twice and affray

The other boy now feels more comfortable going out with friends after Bush's arrest and charge.

Bush pleaded guilty to affray and received 15 months in prison. He was given eight months on one charge of possessing a knife concurrently and eight months consecutively on a second charge of having a knife.

Judge Jeremy Jeremy Lea told Bush he was imposing a four-year restraining order and a ban on going to Crompton Road playing fields in Bilsthorpe.

And he told him: "Up and down this country courts are very concerned about the routine carrying of knives. Possession of such weapons very often, in circumstances of tension and confrontation between groups and individuals, can lead to quite fatal consequences. Because it only takes a second to take out a knife and make use of it."

He said Bush's abuse of drink and drugs will only exacerbate the mental health problems he has.

The defendant already has a mental health requirement attached to a court order.

Simon Eckersley, mitigating, told the court the sister's partner had taken a crowbar out in public and Bush had fled.

He spoke of a vulnerability about Bush and how he had been targeted by others.

"He says, for what it is worth, that the last place on earth he wants to return to is custody.

"When he is released, he says he wants to get his head down, wants to stop drinking, getting into trouble and never return to custody."