Threatened to '˜half' children in the street

Jordan Maguire, of Farland Way, pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon and disorderly behaviour on August 10, last year.

The 19-year-old also admitted the burglary on March 17, 2015.

Derry Magistrates Court heard that police were called to Rosskeen Park after Maguire walked down the street holding the sword.

He approached two children with the sword and threatened to ‘half you in two’.

The teen was ‘roaring and shouting’ at the children and was making reference to sexual diseases.

In March, three men removed a shutter and broke into the Spar shop on the Fairview Road.

Once in the shop they smashed a gaming machine which contained soft toys with £20 notes attached.

Nine of these were taken from the machine and were found a short distance away. The money was removed.

Maguire was connected to the burglary by blood found on one of the soft toys.

The court was told almost £1,000 worth of damage was caused to the shop and £599 worth of damage to the gaming machine.

District Judge Barney McElholm suspended an eight month sentence for two years and ordered Maguire to pay £500 compensation to the shop.

He also ordered him to complete 100 hours community service and to spend 12 months on probation.