The partner of a woman whose son was murder victim Zain Sailsman has avoided prison for threatening to stab himself in front of her.

David Daley, 45, the boyfriend of Zain’s mum Madeline Fletcher, threatened to kill himself with a kitchen knife after drinking for 24 hours on what would have been Zain’s 21st birthday.

He became abusive with police who used captor spray to restrain him and seize the knife.

Daley admitted using threatening, abusive, insulting words or behaviour on March 22 at an earlier hearing at Macclesfield Magistrates court. At the sentencing, magistrates heard that Zain’s murder in October 2013 had a bad effect on Daley, who lives on Ferndale Crescent, Macclesfield.

But they told him it was a ‘nasty offence’ and he could have gone to prison. They stopped short of sending him to jail, instead giving him a suspended sentence.

Mr Adrian Long, chairman of the bench, said: “You were extremely abusive and the policeman was in fear for his life. It passes the custody threshold and if it had gone to trial that’s what it would have been.

“But we’ve taken into account your guilty plea, remorse, efforts to tackle your problems with alcohol and that you’ve been relatively free of crime over the last few years.”

Prosecuting, Debbie Byrne, said: “Daley texted Mrs Fletcher saying he loved her and wouldn’t be here tomorrow. She called him and saw him outside sat on the wall with a kitchen knife threatening to stab himself.

“Sgt Andy Gardner found him in the garden with a knife and a bottle of brandy.”

Mrs Byrne said the officer used captor spray and seized the knife after Daley became abusive.

Trevor Feehily, defending, said Daley has had ‘a torrid time’.

He said: “His partner’s son was the victim of a very high profile murder. He lost his job and it’s all taken its toll, he was diagnosed with depression. On the weekend of the offence there was a party for his partner’s son’s 21st birthday and he drank to excess. When police were called he had been drinking for 24 hours. The aggression was directed at himself. He never threatened police with the knife.”

Magistrates gave Daley a six week prison sentence suspended for 18 months, 250 hours unpaid work, £85 costs and £80 victim surcharge.