Carrying a lock knife

him reach into his back pocket.

Upon his arrest a fully functioning lock knife with an 8cms blade was recovered from his clothing but it was not produced during the row.

Magistrates heard that Bridgewood, of Yews Hill Road in Lockwood, would have to be jailed for a minimum of six months.

This was because in December 2014 he was convicted of possessing a knife in public.

Catherine McCullough, mitigating, explained that her client initially had a legitimate reason having it on him for his job as a packer in a warehouse.

But as the knife remained on his person he committed an offence, she explained.

Magistrates were told that Bridgewood suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and was heavily intoxicated the night he was arrested.

Mrs McCullough explained: “The reason he was drinking so heavily was due to his increased alcohol intake because of his PTSD.

“He served in the armed forces from 2002 and 2010 in active service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“During that time he saw some harrowing things that have stayed with him and he uses alcohol as a way of self-medicating and coping with the symptoms.”

She added that her client accepted he shouldn’t have been mixing his alcohol with medication and that probably had an effect on him.

Magistrates jailed Bridgewood for six months and ordered him to pay the officer he assaulted £115 compensation upon his release.

The seized knife will be forfeited and destroyed.