A YOUNG soldier lost his Army career and his liberty after brandishing a knife in public.

The incident took place while Tony Lee Delaney was undergoing Army training at Catterick , North Yorkshire, on April 1.

Durham Crown Court heard that following a night in Darlington, he accompanied a woman by taxi to a house in Ferryhill.

Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, said the driver dropped them at a house in Belsay Close, where the woman entered, claiming someone there owed her money. But the householder denied knowledge of it and ushered her out of the premises.

As they emerged, Delaney, who was waiting outside, produced what was described as a 10ins bladed carving knife from his trousers and made a throat-slashing gesture.

Miss Lamballe said, as a parting shot, leaving with the woman, he knocked the wing mirror off a Vauxhall Corsa parked outside the property.

Delaney, 24, of Upminster, Essex, was later arrested and admitted possessing a bladed article in public, affray and damaging property.

He failed to appear for sentence at the court last Wednesday, claiming he was to have travelled North for the hearing with his father, but his car developed problems.

A bench warrant was issued for his arrest and he was brought before the court for sentence yesterday.

His barrister, Carl Swift, said Delaney was in the early stages of training as a soldier when the incident took place and, as a result, left the Army.

Jailing him for eight months, Judge Christopher Prince said brandishing a knife in public in such a threatening manner could only merit a custodial sentence.