A man stole and tried to sell a samurai sword belonging to his uncle, so he could go and watch Manchester City play, a court heard.

Carl Simpson, 31, after was living with his auntie and her husband David Bebbington who put a roof over his head after he split from his wife.

However he swiped the ornamental sword from their home in Crewe and was then caught trying to sell it in Macclesfield town centre.

Simpson had tickets for City’s first home game of the season, against Swansea on August 15, but no money for the train, Macclesfield magistrates heard. Simon Pover, prosecuting, told magistrates that CCTV controllers in Macclesfield alerted police after a man was spotted with what looked like a sword near to the bus station.

Officers attended at the bus station at around 5pm, just hours before the match was due to start and found the weapon in Simpson’s rucksack.

He had been showing it to people in order to persuade them to buy it.

He was arrested and interviewed meaning he missed the match, which City won 4-0. In the interview it came to light that the sword had been stolen. Mr Bebbington gave a statement to police which said the sword had been given to him as a gift, and had been on display on a rack on his bedroom wall.

Simpson also admitted stealing 2 and half litres of vodka and a bottle of sparkling wine from Marks and Spencer’s on Mill Street, over a month later.

He was arrested in Macclesfield town centre on September 28 with the wine in his possession and admitted going into the store and taking the alcohol without paying. Simpson, of Red House Flats, Masons Lane, Hurdsfield, pleaded guilty to shoplifting and possession of a bladed article at an earlier hearing. He admitted theft of the sword at a hearing on Monday.

Julian Farley, defending, said: "His intention was to sell it to pay pay for train fare from Macclesfield to Manchester to watch a Manchester City game.

"He had tickets to get into the game but no money for the train. There is no evidence he had the sword outside of the rucksack. This is an ornamental sword and the prosecution accepts this is not an offensive weapon."

Chairman of the Bench Jocelyn Saunders said: "We find there are aggravating factors; breach of trust in that you stole it from someone who gave you a home but we have no evidence the weapon was used in a threatening manner."

Simpson replied saying, "It was wrong what I did."

The case was adjourned until November 28 for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

After the hearing, Mr Bebbington told the Express: "Carl had been staying with me and my wife.

"We had given him a roof over his head after he split from his wife. And he goes and steals a samurai sword from me.

"I’m just pleased he’s been convicted."