A HAMPSHIRE man has pleaded guilty to being in possession of an offensive weapon, a dumbbell, in a public place in Basingstoke.

David McGuigan, of Cove Road in Fleet, appeared at Winchester Crown Court on Wednesday, August 9.

During the hearing, he entered a guilty plea to a charge of having in his possession a dumbbell to use an offensive weapon in Alencon Link in Basingstoke on July 5.

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The 34-year-old pleaded guilty to three other offences at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court on July 7 relating to the same incident including causing a woman harassment, assaulting a police constable and damaging a police van.

Prosecutor David Flemming told Winchester Crown Court: “We can see he had a heated argument with a male on the streets that become physical.

"He threw a drink over the other man and punched him three times. There are clearly heated words exchanged and it becomes physical.

“He walks off from the confrontation with the male and goes into a car park and he emerged from the car park again, some 40 seconds later and it's clear he has armed himself with the bar.

“He goes for a walk in the shopping centre and is then arrested on the streets.”

He will be sentenced at the same court on October 3 and has been remanded back into custody until then.