A man who threatened punters with an axe in an Okehampton Wetherspoons has made his first appearance in court.

Jason Semple pleaded guilty to two charges of threatening a person with a bladed article during an incident just after 6pm at the White Hart Hotel on Sunday, April 13.

During the incident a police helicopter was deployed to search for the defendant who was arrested by police nearly three hours after they were called.

Punters were ‘locked in’ the White Hart Hotel after reports of the incident.

Police have confirmed that no one was injured.

The 54-year-old had his first hearing at Exeter Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, April 15.

Exeter magistrates heard Semple had been drinking all day and could not really remember what happened or where he got the axe from.

Semple has 140 previous conviction which include offensive weapon convictions, the court heard.

The court heard that Semple went through the pub to the garden to confront a man he has a grievance with.

The incident lasted around a minute and defence solicitor Jeremy Harris said it was a regrettable incident where Semple acted in a “wholly unreasonable manner”.

Mr Harris said Semple, of Tavistock Road, Okehampton, was “deeply sorry for his actions”.

District Judge Stuart Smith remanded Semple in custody because he has a history of breaching court orders.

Semple will be sentenced at Exeter Crown Court next month.