A 24-year-old Douglas man has admitted threatening behaviour.

Nathan Owen Briggs had previously been charged with affray, which he had denied.

However, when a pre-trial review was due to be held, he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of threatening behaviour, which had been offered by the prosecution after discussions with the defence.

Briggs will now be sentenced in summary court on July 9.

The offence was committed on March 25 at Market Street in Douglas, at 11.50am.

Briggs, who lives at Marathon Road, initially got involved in a verbal altercation with a man.

Another man then tried to intervene, asking if things were ok, and Briggs was said to have squared up to him.

He was said to have swung a punch at the man but missed, and then spat towards a woman who the man was with.

Briggs then said: ‘Watch out. I know who you are, I’m going to have you.’

The woman said that she told him her children were in the car, but he had replied, saying: ‘I don’t give a f***.  I would do it in front of your kids.’

Defence advocate Ian Kermode entered a basis of plea for his client, in which Briggs said he didn’t touch anyone and no-one was injured.

He reiterated that his punch had not connected and that his spit had not landed on anyone.

He also denied saying ‘I’m going to stab you’ which had initially been claimed.

Briggs claimed that he had not started the altercation as he said had been called names by one of the men.

The court heard that he is currently subject to a licence, having been released early from a four-year sentence imposed in March 2022 for importing ecstasy in the post.

A probation report will be prepared before sentencing.

Bail continues.