A Mandurah man admitted to possessing a legal weapon and disorderly behaviour in public, when he appeared in Mandurah Magistrates Court on December 1.
Aaron Michael North, 32, pleaded guilty to the offences he was charged with during what was described as an alcohol-related incident, on November 2.
The court heard the traffic data specialist was drinking a few beers with his neighbours, when he decided to go home.
North’s counsel told the court the neighbours tried to get him to stay. However, the father of two refused their offer, which the men took offence to.
The men, who lived across the road, then followed North back to his home.
The court heard both parties then got into a verbal argument.
North then picked up and waved a plastic baton with a steel tip, that he claimed he had found on his driveway.
About 9:50pm witnesses observed the incident from a nearby balcony.
Police were called to the address and arrested North.
Magistrate Anne Longden placed North on a six-month community based order with programs and supervision.
She also issued an order for destruction for the baton.
Magistrate Longden said an order was appropriate, acknowledging North had unpaid fines of about $5000 from previous offences.
She credited North for “taking steps to get back on track”, including referring himself to Rainbow Health Medical Centre following the incident.