Armed cops were forced to descend after a knifeman was reported to have stormed a court with a five inch blade. 

Shocking footage appeared to show Jacob Ross, 27, arriving at Hove Crown Court with the knife as he was due to be sentenced today for assaulting a police officer last year.

Officers spent more than an hour in a standoff with the knifeman until they were able to persuade Ross, who was wearing metal horns in his head and a face mask, to give himself up peacefully just after 12.15pm.

Shocking footage appears to show Jacob Ross, 27, arriving at Hove Crown Court with the knife as he was due to be sentenced today for assaulting a police officer last year

A witness told Sun Online: ‘I heard shouting outside the Courthouse and then saw police with Tasers surrounding a masked guy with a cap at the top of the Courthouse stairs.

‘They were asking him to drop the knife but he was trying to reason with them. Pretty soon there were plain clothed police, a dog unit and armed police on scene and they blocked the street.

‘As soon as the armed police arrived, the guy picked up his dog – it looked like he was trying to shield his body with it before the negotiators talked him down.’

Officers spent more than an hour in a standoff with the knifeman until they were able to persuade Ross, who was wearing metal horns in his head and a face mask, to give himself up peacefully just after 12.15pm

After Ross was arrested, his barrister Aphra Bruce-Jones said: ‘The defendant did attend at about 10.40am. He was carrying a large knife so the police were called. He was arrested and taken into custody.’ 

The case was adjourned until Thursday August 25.

Sussex Police has been contacted for comment.