A man who went berserk during a family row and tried to break into a home armed with carving knives and in view of horrified neighbours, walked free from jail on Thursday.

Serdal Guzel lost his temper during a dispute and armed himself with two kitchen knives to try to break into a home - terrorising the occupants as well as neighbours, who called the police.

A judge sentencing 31-year-old Guzel at Reading Crown Court on August 29 said the incident was "terrifying" for everyone involved, and that Guzel had behaved in such a "deranged and fearsome" manner that he had to be Tasered by police before being taken away.

Mr Recorder John Ryder said: "This was a terrifying incident for anyone looking from the outside - never mind for anybody inside the house.

"I have no doubt that, given the way you behaved in a residential street, in front of many onlookers, there was at least a risk of serious disorder."

Despite this, Guzel walked free from prison on August 29 as he had already served two-thirds of the 20 months-long prison sentence the judge imposed upon him for the offence.

The incident took place at 3.15pm on September 9 last year, when CCTV cameras on Foxhayes Road in Reading first recorded Guzel in an "extremely agitated state."

Mr Recorder Ryder told the court: "You were seen throwing things around in an entirely alarming manner. Footage shows you throwing your bicycle to one side and putting a knife in your shorts.

"Later, you turn up outside a house in a residential area of Reading and you are observed by a neighbour to be kicking the front door there, holding a kitchen carving knife with a thick blade in your hand.

"This neighbour shouted out to you from the safety of her own home that you should stop what you were doing - to which you replied 'Yes I can, you don't understand family'.

"Neighbours saw you then kicking the window of the house, which was obviously with the intention of getting in this time.

"By now you had a carving knife in each hand. You were described by neighbours as looking 'deranged'."

Police were called and tried to calm down Guzel - but officers had to Taser him after he refused to do so.

The defendant was found guilty after trial of two counts of possession of a bladed article in a public space.

The court heard that Guzel was under the influence of cannabis during the incident and had likely suffered a drug-induced psychotic breakdown - prompting the judge to warn Guzel against the use of cannabis in the future.

Mr Recorder Ryder said: "If you use drugs, your psychosis will return, in which case you are considered to present a high risk of serious harm to members of the public and of your immediate family."

The judge sentenced Guzel, of no fixed abode, to 20 months imprisonment.

However, since he was remanded in custody immediately following the incident last September, the 31-year-old had already served his term and was immediately released on licence from August 29.