A MAN who threatened a fried chicken shop manager with a snake has been banned from the takeaway and given a £9 fine.

Anthony Dando went into the Dixy Chicken shop and asked for a blanket for the small python he had bought from a pet shop that day.

The manager told Dando he did not have a blanket, so the 30-year-old asked for a takeaway box, but his meaning was misunderstood and he was asked to leave.

Newcastle Magistrates’ Court heard Dando shouted: "Here, don't talk to me like that.

"I will smash your head in and throw this snake at you."

The manager, frightened as he had not seen a snake before in real life, handed over two pieces of free chicken, hoping Dando would give it to the reptile and leave.

But instead, Dando, of Pease Avenue, Newcastle, who had been drinking, ate the chicken himself and then asked for a drink to wash it down with.

Clare Irving, prosecuting, said: “The injured party had noticed a snake wrapped around his arm.

“He had never seen a snake before in real life. He said he felt absolutely terrified.

“He was genuinely worried he would carry out his threat and throw the snake at him.”

Dando told the man he would leave if he ordered him a taxi.

Ms Irving said: “He turned to his colleagues who were hiding at the back of the shop and asked them to call the police.”

Dando then left the West Road takeaway and he was arrested in a shop nearby around 20 minutes later.

The court was told Dando initially denied threatening behaviour, but conceded to officers that customers in the shop were ‘running away, saying: ‘ooh, a snake’.’

He also admitted he too would have scared ‘if it had been a tarantula.’

Dando pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour at an earlier hearing and was sentenced on Tuesday morning.

Mitigating, Adrian Ions said: “It was single comment directed at one person. It all stemmed from a misunderstanding.

“The snake was being kept warm at a local bookies and customers had been stroking it.

“He goes over to the takeaway to get a box for it but they did not understand him.

“It was not a threat that was ever going to be carried out. It was a stupid one off comment.

“He accepts the witness would have been concerned about what he said.”

Dando was sentenced to an 18-month community order, put on a six month alcohol treatment plan, banned from the shop for a year and given a £9 fine, with £50 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.

The court heard he is in receipt of benefits already owes the court £1,000.

After the hearing, Dando said: “I wanted a box to keep it in and some napkins.

“The bloke saw the snake and did not know what I was going on about because he was scared and in shock.

“He did not understand and got confused and gave me two bits of chicken that I didn’t want.

“I was shouting at him because he was telling us to get out the shop. I didn’t know what his problem was.

“I am sorry for what I have done. I should not have been in the shop with start with.

“My snake was seized and I had to go and buy a new one two days later. That is £135 gone in one day, and then £200 the next time. Ridiculous.”