Former Everton star Bent avoid prison over cocaine rage

Former Everton star Marcus Bent avoided being sent to prison on Friday as he was sentenced for confronting two officers with a meat cleaver and a kitchen knife while under the influence of cocaine.

Bent, 37, pleaded guilty at previous hearings at Guildford Crown Court to possession of cocaine and affray.

He was sentenced to a 12-month jail sentence suspended for two years, ordered to pay £500 compensation to each of the officers, £1,500 court fees, 200 hours community service, a two-month night-time curfew and a victim surcharge of £100.

Lee Harris, prosecuting, described how the former Ipswich and Charlton player called 999 reporting that he had heard intruders in his Esher flat on September 13 last year.

But when police arrived, backed up by armed officers, they were initially unable to gain access to the property.

Harris described how, as the officers were about to use a battering ram to force open the door, bare-chested Bent "flung" open the door and emerged with the two chef's knives with his "eyes wide, jaw clenched, his body rigid".

Harris, adding that Bent was "wild with rage", said that one of the officers, fearing his colleague was about to be attacked, tasered him as he swung the knives in their direction and continued to say he could see the intruders.

Harris said that when officers checked the flat, no intruders were found but they found a small amount of cocaine.