Costumed ‘wench’ tackles alleged drunken sword thief at US Renaissance Fair

A US man, accused of drunkenly stealing a sword at a Renaissance Fair, found himself facing the harsh end of medieval justice when a woman in period costume tackled him to the ground and put him in a headlock.

Connor Ward, 22, was at the fair in Larkspur, Colorado, when he jumped the fence around the jousting area and allegedly picked up one of the jouster's swords, the New York Daily News has reported.

A blogger who witnessed the event said two women in costume had tried to corner Mr Ward and get the blade back.

"Before onlookers could intervene, one woman ripped the stolen sword from the man and another woman (dressed as a wench) tackled him to the ground, quickly applying a headlock," Steven Chapman wrote on his blog Tumbleweed Tourist.

"The women held the man until another performer, dressed as a knight, arrived to take over. From the knight's comments, the woman was his wife."

Mr Ward was charged with resisting arrest, attempted assault of a police officer and theft.

He is in jail on a US$50,000 bond.