A MAN who sparked panic when he was spotted in the street with a machete has been jailed.

Members of the public were alarmed when they saw Carlo Gosden, 22, with a large machete in London Road, Brighton.

A police officer called to the scene had to threaten to shoot him with a Taser before he was arrested.

Yesterday at Hove Crown Court, Gosden was sent to prison for a year over the fracas on October 6.

Martha Walsh, prosecuting, told the court: “PC Adam Cliffe was on duty in Brighton when he received a call at 11.45pm that a man had been seen with a machete.

“He made his was to London Road and was directed to The Level where he saw the defendant and got out of his car and approached him with his Taser drawn and told him to get on the floor. The defendent looked at him and did not respond. PC Cliffe then turned on the Taser and told him to get on the floor and he did. He was handcuffed and arrested.”

The court heard when the officer searched Gosden he found a large machete in his trousers.

In interview Gosden admitted having a machete for protection because it made him feel safe.

The same night police had responded to an earlier separate incident where a 17-year-old was stabbed in London Road.

The teen was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital with wounds to the buttocks.

In mitigation, Rachel Lane told the court Gosden had been affected by the loss of his father. She said: “He had a difficult year. He found himself homeless and and was in a position where he was no longer getting support from the care service because of his age.

“He was also having to deal with the death of his father. It has not been an easy time for this young man and he has been realistic about what will happen when he comes to court today.”

Gosden, who had a number of previous public order offences, pleaded guilty to possessing a blade in a public place and two counts of breaching a suspended sentence.

Judge Paul Tain sentenced him to six months in prison for the machete fracas to be served consecutively with six months for suspended sentence breaches. In total he will serve 12 months in jail.