Man is jailed for threatening to slash shop staff

A MAN who took a knife into Home Bargains and threatened to slash the manager’s throat has been jailed as the judge warned of a knife “epidemic in this country”.

Mark Field flew into a rage in the Byker store when staff approached him and accused him of shoplifting, a court heard.

The 43-year-old began knocking items off the shelves before threatening to “torch the store and smash it up”.

Newcastle Crown Court heard he had a penknife in his possession, and started making threats to slash the manager’s throat.

Prosecutor Emma Dowling said the store was full of customers, including young children, at the time.

Now Field has been sentenced to 12 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a bladed article and threatening behaviour.

The court heard he went to the Byker branch of Home Bargains in the middle of the afternoon on June 7 this year.

Staff at the shop recognised Field and approached him, but he reacted “aggressively” and started knocking things off the shelves.

Ms Dowling said: “Staff became aware he had a knife in his possession. According to them he kept threatening to torch the store and smash it up.

“He was making threats towards the manager, saying, ‘I’m going to slash his throat.’

“This clearly caused concern, particularly since there were young children in the shop at the time, as you would expect at that time of day.

“They asked him why he had a knife and told him he needed to put it away.”

When police arrived Field, who has previous convictions for possession of a bladed article, was found to have a small penknife on him.

In his police interview he accepted knocking items off shelves but said it was because the staff were saying he had stolen things and he hadn’t.

The court heard from Field’s representation that he needed to “sort himself out and keep away from drugs long-term”.

At the time of the offence he had “only just been released from custody” and there was “a lack of clarity in his thinking”, it was said.

Recorder Maria Karaiskos sentenced Field, of Wilfred Street, Byker, to 12 months behind bars.

She said: “Being in a public place in possession of a knife, sadly, is becoming something of an epidemic in this country. It is so serious only a custodial sentence can be justified.”