A man found by police in Pembroke Dock in possession of a kitchen knife in public, has been given a suspended prison sentence.
Twenty-year-old Luke Ian Harper, of Meyrick Street, pleaded guilty to the charge when he appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court, on Tuesday.
Prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard-Jones told the court that the sergeant sitting in his office at Pembroke Dock police station could hear arguing over the road at around 3 pm.
“He went over and sorted it out, then when returning to the station he noticed the defendant sitting on a bench in Water Street. He had reason to search him and found a standard kitchen knife in the pocket of his hooded jacket.
“Mr. Harper has a number of previous convictions to his name, mainly dishonesty, shoplifting and criminal damage,” he added.
Defence solicitor Mike Kelleher told the court that his client had been given a community order for 12 months on September 6.
“He was living in a flat in Old Coronation School, and had all sorts of trouble, with his flat broken into on two occasions, and also an assault on him, so he didn’t feel safe at all there, and has since gone back to the family home in Neyland.
“On the day in question, he visited an acquaintance, and saw the knife in the kitchen sink, and realised that this person must have removed it from his property previously, so he took it back.
“He was just taking it back to his flat, he wasn’t waving it about or showing it to anyone, it was in his pocket where nobody could see it.
“It was foolish, but not in dangerous circumstances,” added Mr. Kelleher.
Magistrates told Mr. Harper that carrying a bladed article in public was taken extremely seriously, and gave him a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.
They ordered the defendant to carry on engaging with the probation service for his existing community order.
Mr. Harper was told to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £115. A destruction order was also passed for the knife.