A CHEF who lunged at police officers with his kitchen knives had earlier threatened to kill his partner, Bingley magistrates heard.

Trevor Claydon, 40, was disarmed by police at the Kings Arm Hotel in Haworth after they disabled him with a 50,000 volt Taser stun gun.

Earlier Claydon, 40, had threatened his partner Karen Worden with the knives and also throttled her, saying he would kill her, Bingley magistrates heard last week.

When she fled the house, terrified, Claydon went on to brandish the knives at staff, customers and police in the nearby hotel.

Claydon, who was a chef at the Old White Lion in the village, pleaded guilty last Friday to threatening to kill Karen Worden, assaulting her causing actual bodily harm, causing an affray and possession of offensive weapons, namely two kitchen knives.

The bench ruled it did not have the powers to deal with him and remanded him in custody to Bradford Crown Court to be dealt with in the week beginning January 23.

Magistrates were told that the incident was sparked after Claydon left Worden ironing at the home in Changegate Court, Haworth, and went out for a drink on Wednesday, December 28.

Prosecutor Alan Davies said it was accepted that Claydon's behaviour was entirely out of character.

He had spent four hours drinking and when he arrived back home, his partner of six months had left to visit friends.

When she returned a row broke out and he became aggressive and started to push her around.

Mr Davies said: "He took her round the neck and began strangling her and she had difficulty breathing.

"He was threatening her all the time that he would kill her and she believed it."

The court heard that she then ran upstairs and locked herself in the bathroom -- but he broke down the door, picked up the pieces of timber and started swinging them about.

Claydon then picked up two large kitchen knives with which he threatened to kill her, before Miss Worden ran out of the house to telephone the police.

He also left but went to the Kings Arms and ordered a drink. Talking to staff, he admitted he had threatened to kill Miss Worden.

"He became aggressive and removed the knives from his clothing and began brandishing them in a threatening manner," Mr Davies added.

"Customers felt so threatened that they left and one woman, who stayed behind, burst into tears because she was so frightened."

Claydon demanded a drink and started making stabbing movements.

At this point police officers arrived and told him to drop the knives, but he threatened to harm anyone who came near and said he "would do life".

Mr Davies added: "He made a lunge in the direction of the police officers, who deployed the Taser and incapacitated him."

When interviewed later, Claydon said he couldn't remember what had happened and had to agree with what people said.

Glen Chivers, for Claydon, said the incident happened when he left his partner ironing but returned much later than he said he would.

He had been drinking beer and whisky and a bitter argument began.

He could not explain why he behaved as he had, or why he had taken the knives out with him, apart from that he intended to go back to work.

The incident had got way out of hand in the hotel and the landlord and his wife had tried to calm the situation down.

"The landlord's wife had sat next to him very bravely to try and calm him down, but she was not successful," said Mr Chivers.

He added that there could have been a psychological element to his behaviour.

"He told police he could not believe he had behaved in that way and he had never ever threatened anybody before," he said.