Newbury man carried knife 'in case there was trouble"

Man found drunk and with a bread knife in rucksack avoids serious punishment

A NEWBURY man who was drunk and had a knife in his rucksack was carrying it “in case there was trouble” in a row over money.

Newbury magistrates heard, last Thursday, how 40-year-old Stephen Pitt went armed with the weapon because he felt that someone had “blagged” £200 from him.

Ann Sawyer-Brandish, prosecuting, said: “Officers were called to Fullers Court, Newbury, on July 25, following reports that a person had passed out in the communal area outside the flats.

“They located the offender in an intoxicated state and he said he was not going anywhere.

“The verbal abuse continued and he started removing items from his bag.

“In doing so he produced a large kitchen knife.”

Stephen Collins, defending, said: “The knife was not used to make any threats.

“His anger was directed towards a person in the block of flats.

“Police were called and the knife was taken out when he was looking through his bag for a cigarette.

“He dropped it on the floor.”

Mr Collins added that his client, who lives at Two Saints hostel, London Road, had a history of mental health issues and was receiving treatment and care from community mental health services.

The court heard that on July 28, three days after being caught with the knife, Mr Pitt was in trouble again – this time when officers searched him and found one small wrap of amphetamines.

A probation officer told the court: “I asked him about the possession of a knife – a bread knife.

“He said he was of the belief that someone had blagged him out of £200.

“He took the bread knife with him in case there was trouble.

“He says what he did was wrong and knows it was not an effective way of dealing with it.

“He feels his medication is not working properly and that he is struggling on a daily basis.”

Mr Pitt admitted being in possession of a knife and using threatening and abusive words likely to cause harassment or distress on July 25.

He also admitted being in possession of a class B drug on July 28.

After retiring to make their decision, magistrates made Mr Pitt subject to a 12-month community order, requiring him to complete up to 20 days unpaid work for possession of the knife.

In addition, he was made to pay court costs of £180 and a statutory surcharge of £60.

However, he was not made to pay prosecution costs because of his limited means of payment.

Magistrates took no action against Mr Pitt for the threatening and abusive language, the drug possession or the breach of his existing conditional discharge, issued in December 2014.

Presiding magistrate Stephen Greenhalgh said: “In terms of the other offences we have been very lenient with you.”