Accountant attacked man with ceremonial sword during Wolverhampton pub brawl

Father-of-three Gurjit Johal – who had downed six pints and two vodkas at the Hen and Chickens in Hill Top, West Bromwich, after earlier drinking at a wedding reception – swung the three-foot-long bladed weapon at rival Daljit Singh during the trouble in the pub car park,Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

The 34-year-old missed and the other man grabbed the sword with one hand at the top and the other at the base of the blade, explained Mr Paul Farrow, prosecuting.

Mr Singh received cuts to his hands and legs during the struggle with his attacker who fled as police arrived.

The defendant threw the sword into a flower bed but it was recovered by a dog handler.

He used it to provide the scent of the wanted man who was found by the dog hiding under a car.

Johal had earlier been ushered outside after being punched in the face when trouble flared in the pub shortly before 2am, said Mr Farrow.

The defendant claimed to have stopped to talk to friends after leaving the scene and then returned to the pub.

He allegedly took a ceremonial sword from one of them to prevent it being used only to 'take a swipe' at Mr Singh with the weapon when two rival groups, some armed, confronted each other outside the pub in the early hours of October 5, 2014.

Mr Gurdeep Garcha, defending, said: "Although he launched the sword at the victim the injuries were not serious.

"Ordinarily he is a decent, hard working and respectable man. He has real potential and real ability which makes what he did all the more unfathomable.

"Things escalated in a matter of moments."

Johal, from Launceston Close, Park Hall, Walsall, pleaded guilty to wounding and possession of an offensive weapon and was jailed.