A NAKED man who was Tasered by armed police after brandishing a 12-inch knife in the street went on to say he “did what any other person would do”.

Terry Hurley, 50, was terrorised by people repeatedly ringing the doorbell to his home at a multi-occupancy building in Kendall Road, Colchester.

Ipswich Crown Court heard a neighbour heard a loud noise coming from the stairs of the property.

She emerged to find a screaming Hurley running down the stairs wielding a blade she described as “30cm in length”.

The court heard she rushed back into her flat, locking the door before telling her husband what she had witnessed.

The pair looked out the window onto the street, where they could see Hurley dressed only in his underwear, holding the knife and screaming.

The court heard armed police arrived at the scene and described Hurley as naked and holding a 10 to 12in knife with a black handle.

Officers ordered Hurley to drop the blade and when he did not comply, they fired a Taser at his chest, which initially proved ineffective.

He was eventually taken to the ground and handcuffed.

When police searched his home, they found an axe and further knives.

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In police interview, Hurley told officers he has a mental health disorder and had suffered due to people repeatedly ringing his doorbell.

He told officers on the day in question he looked out his window “to find out what was going on” and a stranger shouted: “I kill you”.

Hurley said this caused him to panic and “out of sheer terror” he grabbed the closest item to him, which happened to be the knife.

He told officers the stranger backed off as he approached him with the knife, adding “he did what any other person would do”.

He admitted possession of a knife in a public place.

The court heard Hurley, who has 13 convictions for 23 offences, has a previous conviction for possessing a knife.

Matthew Edwards, mitigating, said this previous conviction concerned a work knife, used in his career in catering, which was left in a coat pocket.

“When he was searched by the police he had that knife on him,” he said.

Mr Edwards said a pre-sentence report detailed how Hurley, who has problems with alcohol and his mental health, would be better helped by intervention from the probation service rather than a term of imprisonment.

He was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.

He must now complete a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement and 60 hours unpaid work.