AN ARMED man who rounded people up in a convenience store has been given a suspended sentence.

Aiden Baverstock, of Pennine Way, Buckskin, appeared at Winchester Crown Court on Friday for sentencing after pleading guilty to affray at an earlier hearing.

The court heard police were called to John Burtons Foodmarket, at the Winklebury Centre, on April 28 this year, where Baverstock had entered the store and took out a knife, corralling staff and shoppers behind a till.

Despite officers trying to calm the 25-year-old down, it was not until he saw the red dot of a Taser that he put the knife down and got on the ground.

Prosecuting Gary Venturi said: “He [Baverstock] had an argument with this girlfriend and had been smoking cannabis and had got himself into a paranoid state.

“His motivation to corral everyone in the store was so that he could see everyone because he was paranoid he was being watched.”

A victim impact statement read to the court from one of the people in the store said: “I have not been able to sleep since the incident and when I am on my own I keep thinking about it.

“I have not been out shopping on my own since and I keep looking behind me, worried about what might happen. I can’t believe that people are capable of acting like this.”

Defending Baverstock, Alec Williams said there were concerns for his client’s mental health and that his misuse of cannabis was a contributing factor to his actions.

Mr Williams said: “This is an out-of-character incident and in order to deal with his behaviour Mr Baverstock has used cannabis and taken violent and paranoid action to deal with his problems.”

He added: “From the outset he [Baverstock] has been remorseful and has taken responsibility for his.”

Recorder Oba Nsugbe QC asked Mr Williams how Baverstock was acting on the store’s CCTV, to which the defending barrister said: “He seemed erratic and confused.”

In sentencing Recorder Nsugbe QC said that misuse of cannabis was a voluntary action which lead to Baverstock’s actions which had many people “hiding in fear”.

Judge Nsugbe said: “You were acting in a bizarre fashion were you got out a knife in public which is clearly being used in a threatening manner.”

Baverstock was sentenced to six months in jail, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to carry out 15 rehabilitation days and 60 hours of unpaid work.