A KNIFEMAN who threatened a family was spared jail yesterday to redeem himself on drug treatment courses.

Daniel Randall was high on amphetamines and drink when he flew into a rage during a barbecue at his home.

Randall, 28, was alleged to have hit a neighbour's young son.

The next day, he turned up brandishing a knife and told the boy's sister: "This knife's for your dad."

He wanted the father to leave the house in Brotton, east Cleveland, and to have a fight with him. He also threatened to knife the son and to torch a house and car, said Paul Newcombe, prosecuting.

At Teesside Crown Court, Richard Bennett, mitigating, said that probation officers reported that Randall was suitable for a programme of treatment.

Judge Tony Briggs told Randall: "The way you behaved obviously passes the custody threshold and you're lucky not to be sent into custody.

"It would appear that the more-lasting public interest would be served by passing a drug treatment and testing order which will last for 12 months. If you do not co-operate with it, and in particular if you continue to have low levels of negative testing, the chances are that you will get locked up."

Randall of Brentford Court, Brotton, was sentenced to the drugs treatment order after he pleaded guilty to threatening to destroy or damage property and to affray on August 16 last year.