A man who assaulted a dog warden with a samurai sword was sentenced to three years and three months in jail in Supreme Court yesterday.

Jahni Everett Bean, 21, of Jones Lane, Warwick appeared before Chief Justice Richard Ground yesterday for sentencing although he had originally appealed being sentenced in Supreme Court.

Bean admitted assaulting dog warden Fabian Minors, possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and obstruction of a dog warden executing his duties. The offences occurred on December 9.

At a Newton hearing in March, Acting Magistrate Tyrone Chin found Bean was not telling the truth regarding two points in his case. Mr. Chin found that Mr. Minors was assaulted with a sword rather than just tapped on the shoulder when Bean rode down to Warwick Post Office with the sword. He also found that Bean did not hand over the sword when first asked.

Defence lawyer Ed Bailey said Bean was not a dangerous person and did not warrant facing the stiffer penalties in Supreme Court.

Mr. Justice Ground dismissed the appeal after Senior Crown counsel Lloyd Rayney explained that the Magistrates? committal to Supreme Court could legally not be overturned.

Mr. Rayney then asked the court for an immediate custodial sentence for Bean.

He said there needed to be a strong deterrent for this type of behaviour for like-minded individuals who arm themselves with offensive weapons.

He added: ?This is not a defendant who comes to the court with no previous convictions.?

Bean received a three month sentence suspended for one year in October after he was convicted of assaulting a female Police Officer, Mr. Rayney told the court.

Mr. Bailey said Bean felt a ?strong injustice? ever since he was acquitted of his involvement in the 2001 murder of Tekle Mallory. He added that the men involved in the shooting outside of Bean?s house after his acquittal were never prosecuted.

Bean, Mr. Bailey told the court, said he never intended to hurt the dog wardens when he confronted them at the Warwick Post Office.

In court yesterday Bean apologised to both the dog wardens and his family.

?If I had the intention of harming anybody I would have done that. My intention was to get my dog back,? he said.

He added that he just wanted to get back to taking care of his son.

Mr. Justice Ground told Bean he had ?a poor record?.

?There is a strong public policy in protecting the dog wardens and others in their execution of duties,? he added.

He sentenced Bean to 18 months for assault, 18 months for the possession of an offensive weapon and activated his three month suspended sentence all to run consecutively.