A TEENAGER who threatened to cut off the heads of his girlfriend's relatives while brandishing a samurai sword has walked free from court.

Nico Bayes, who also said he would firebomb her house, produced the menacing weapon following an argument with the girl in the street.

But after hearing the 18-year-old had a terrible start to life and was tackling his issues with anger, drink and drugs, a judge imposed a community order.

Hannah Squire, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how the incident took place in Mazurek Way, Haydon End, on Wednesday June 10.

The couple, who were each with a friend, were shouting at each other in the street when the defendant went into a house before emerging with the weapon.

"The essence of this is he took out a samurai sword and made threatening remarks with it," Miss Squire said.

"He said 'I'm going to cut your families' heads off'. The friend with him seems to have been the most sensible. He took the sword from him.

"The defendant went in to a house and came out again and said 'I will phone my contact and get them to put a bullet straight through your head. I'm going to petrol bomb your house with your aunties in it'."

Bayes, of Bishopdale Close, Nine Elms, pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon.

Rob Ross, defending, said people like him after often mocked in the tabloids for pointing to people's poor upbringing but in his client's case it was true.

"Very, very, genuinely this young man has not been in a good place since he was born. It is apparent his early development was blighted by abuse," he said

"It was then clear that he had other difficulties that were clearly not of his own making both psychologically and psychiatrically.

"Overlain by that we had him seen, which showed he was operating at a learning difficulty level as well."

He said he was also being seen by doctors because there is a thought he may be suffering from schizophrenia.

Mr Ross said that after appearing before the youth court last year he was given support by probation and seemed to be doing well for a while.

But he was moved to Gloucester, where he did not receive the same support, and things went wrong for him

Since his return to Swindon he was being seen by Seqol who are providing full time help and he had been out of trouble.

Passing sentence Judge Peter Blair QC said: "The behaviour which you admitted has got to be punished but I want to ensure that the really good work that you are doing with Seqol is something that will carry on.

"There are people in the probation service who are prepared to give you rehabilitation talking one to one about how to deal with you temper, thinking how your behaviour affects other people.

"To deal with that mix of alcohol, if you are stressed, and to stop yourself getting in to a situation where you lose your temper when you have had something to drink, and drugs and employment."

He imposed a one year community order with a rehabilitation order and an eight week night time curfew.