A 28-year-old man who waved a knife during a rumpus outside a Bangor school was jailed for 15 months.

Judge David Hale told Jonathon Rowlands of Lon Ogwen, Bangor: “People in the school could see what was going on.”

Rowlands pleaded guilty to having a knife outside Ysgol Tryfan during a row with another man last March.

Jade Tufail, prosecuting at Caernarfon crown court, said the deputy head and a number of sixth formers could see what was going on.

The other man involved, Stephen Williams ended on the floor and the defendant’s mother tried to usher her son into a nearby house but then Rowlands emerged with a large kitchen knife. He waved it at Mr Williams but then went back inside.

Mr Williams had subsequently been fined for a public order offence.

Defence barrister Dafydd Roberts said Rowlands was a sole carer for two children and he suggested a suspended sentence with a rehabilitation requirement.

He had been on bail for a year without any repetition of his behaviour.

But Judge Hale said the sentence could not be suspended because of the public interest in discouraging people “from resorting to the use of knives, threatening or whatever.”