AN Airedale man has escaped jail after police found a three-and-a-half inch blade in his pocket.
Paul Lunn, 23, of Fryston Road, Airedale, was given a suspended sentence at Leeds Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty to possessing a blade.
Nigel Wray, prosecuting, told the court that police attended Penrith Crescent in Castleford on Feb
ruary 23 this year and arrested Lunn for being drunk and disorderly.
He was found staggering in the street holding a can of beer and was being loud and abusive to officers.
When he was being checked into custody, police searched him and discovered a three-and-a-half inch lock knife in his pocket.
Michael Smith, mitigating, said Lunn never had the intention of using the knife and added: “He is shamed and sorry for this offence”.
The court was told Lunn has two previous convictions – disorderly behaviour in 2004 and drunk and disorderly behaviour in 2008.
The Recorder of Leeds, Judge Peter Collier QC, said it was just possible to suspend a jail sentence because he did not intend to use the knife and because he had made an effort to sort out his personal problems.
He gave Lunn a 16-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months and ordered him to do 120 hours of unpaid work.
The full article contains 222 words and appears in Ponte and Cas Express newspaper.
