Wigan man who brandished a meat cleaver in McDonald's avoids jail

Police descended on McDonald’s in Standishgate after Christopher Murphy, 35, wielded the razor-sharp blade in front of shocked staff and customers early in the morning, telling them he was going to “chop up” people from Liverpool.

Murphy, of nearby Mesnes Park Terrace, brazenly left the weapon on display on the table until police arrived at the scene.

Police deployed a Taser, but officers did not need to use it and no one was injured in the incident.

At Bolton Crown Court, he was spared an immediate spell in custody for the incident, and was handed a suspended sentence.

Murphy had pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place, in an earlier hearing at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard how, at approximately 5.30am on October 15, Murphy was eating breakfast at the counter of McDonalds.

He was said to be loud and was being rude to staff, and kept dropping his food on the floor.

He then told an employee he was going to attack Liverpudlians, but used an offensive name for them, then pulled the cleaver from a plastic bag and placed it on the counter.

Staff immediately alerted the police, who arrived just 10 minutes later.

When officers entered the takeaway they were stunned to see the cleaver was still on the counter.

A Taser was drawn by one of the responding officers as a precaution, but it was not used.

Murphy was searched at the scene, and was found to be concealing a white-handled kitchen knife in the waistband of his trousers.

There were no reports of any people being threatened or injured by Murphy.

He was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, but the sentence was suspended for two years.

He must also complete a 30-day RAR (rehabilitation activity requirement), a nine-month drug rehabilitation programme, and a three-month curfew between the hours of 9pm and 7am.

He must pay a victim surcharge of £115, and forfeiture and destruction of the knife and meat cleaver was also ordered.