Leave your knives and samurai swords at home

Former super featherweight champion Lester Ellis will not have serve jail time for forcefully taking over a Melbourne video store last May. He will have to continue psychiatric care, attend Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings, and make a donation to a children’s charity, The Australian reported on Wednesday.

The sentence is part of a 12-month good behavior bond for Ellis’ guilty plea to three counts of carrying a prohibited weapon, one count of unlawful assault and one count of assaulting police. On May 25, under fears that he was being followed, Ellis entered a video store with two knives and a samurai sword and ordered the attendant to leave. Police later arrived and subdued him with capsicum spray.

Magistrate Lisa Hannan released Ellis on the bond, acknowledging his remorse and efforts to overcome alcoholism. Ellis’ attorney said the former champion was working to improve his life.

Ellis (42-8) won the IBF Super Featherweight title from Hwan Kil Yuh by split decision in February of 1985, and successfully defended it once before losing it to Barry Michael in July of that year. He went on to win the Australian Lightweight and Light Welterweight titles, the British Empire Light Welterweight title, and a few offshoot belts before retiring in 2002.