AN AXE-wielding man spent £700 on taxi fares to retrieve his beloved dog from police kennels in Manchester, a court has heard.

A witness reported hearing Adrian Whittingham, who pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon and three charges of criminal damage, screaming and shouting at a neighbour to "come out and face me" in the street outside his house at around 8.30pm on January 26.

"He was pacing backwards and forwards," prosecutor Ralph Robyns Landricombe said.

The court heard Whittingham had then sat on the bonnet of a neighbour's car, but, when the witness looked again 20 minutes later, he was standing in the street again holding an axe, which he swung at the rear window of a parked car.

Police were called, and Whittingham, who had damaged three cars in total, was arrested. In interview, he said he had been very intoxicated.

"He said he had gone to the shop and bought four cans of cider, which he started drinking at midday," Mr Robyns Landricombe said.

"He said he did not remember what had happened or being arrested, but he thought he had been in a fight with a neighbour about the death of his partner."

Philip Cornell, for Whittingham, said the 51-year-old, who appeared wearing full camouflage clothing, had no intention of using the axe against a person.

"His wife died 12 years ago, and this is when things started going horribly wrong," Mr Cornell said.

"He is paranoid and needs to socialise. His dog, Buttons, is his trusted companion, but when he was released from custody four days later, he got home to find there was no Buttons.

"Buttons had been taken by police to kennels in Manchester. He got a taxi, and paid a £700 fare to go to Leigh and back to get his dog. This was all of his benefits for the month."

Magistrates said it was a sorry tale but that Whittingham's actions had caused a lot of distress that would stay with the victims for a long time.

Whittingham, of Tump Lane, Much Birch, was handed an 18-month community order and a three-year restraining order. He must pay compensation of £500 to the owner of one of the cars, £250 each to the owners of the other two, costs of £185, and a £95 victim surcharge.