A MAN who went to confront his daughter’s ex-boyfriend armed with a metal pole ended up going to the wrong road.

Royal Marines veteran David Anderson went to Coles Avenue, Poole, looking for a man referred to in court only as Eddie.

However, he ended up going to the home of Roy Coxon, who was outside his address washing his car at the time.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard Anderson parked the car he was driving and eventually started walking towards Mr Coxon’s address with a three foot “scaffolding-type pole” in his hand.

The defendant did not appear to see the resident and instead walked straight to his front door.

Mr Coxon approached Anderson and asked him if he could help, to which the the 44-year-old replied “not unless you’re ******* Eddie”.

A statement from Mr Coxon said he was “very nervous” and “didn’t feel safe”.

However, after establishing Eddie was not at the address and he had made a mistake, Anderson said “sorry, I have got the wrong house” and went back to his car.

Mr Coxon went inside and called police but noticed Anderson had got out of his vehicle and gone across to a neighbour’s address.

Anderson was heard saying “Eddie, open the ******* door” but no one was in and the defendant left the area.

Prosecuting Stuart Ellacott said Anderson had been looking for his daughter’s ex-boyfriend but he had not got the correct location on July 18.

Officers caught up with the defendant near his home address. Police found he did not hold a valid a driving licence or insurance to drive the vehicle he had been using and he was around four times the drink drive limit. In police interview, Anderson said: “I’m bang to rights.”

He told officers he had gone to see Eddie who, along with his new partner, had been sending text messages to the defendant’s adult daughter and ex-wife. Anderson and his partner had consumed around a litre of vodka between them before the incident but he said he felt fit to drive.

Anderson, of Patchins Road, Poole, admitted having an offensive weapon in public, using threatening, abusive, insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of or provoke unlawful violence, drink driving and driving without insurance.

Mitigating Timothy Bradbury said Anderson, who served with the armed forces in Kosovo and Northern Ireland before being injured, was looking for Eddie to “remonstrate with him”.

The court heard Anderson, who has alcohol dependence syndrome, has cared for and supported his partner since she was diagnosed with MS in 2008.

“He is not a man of violence,” said Mr Bradbury. “He doesn’t fight, he doesn’t lose his temper.”

Recorder Richard Mawhinney sentenced Anderson to four months in prison, suspended for 18 months, at a hearing on August 28. He was disqualified from driving for three years.