Jail for brandishing kitchen knife

A late-night disturbance at a Rosyth petrol station led to a nine-and-a-half month jail sentence for a serial offender.

Derek Bryce, 32, now a prisoner at Edinburgh, had been released from jail just a month before his latest offence.

He admitted brandishing a knife at the Gulf Garage on Primrose Lane and walking towards members of the public while carrying it.

He also admitted having the knife illegally.

Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard the offence happened at 2.30am on April 20.

Bryce was putting fuel in his car when an argument began between him and a group.

The accused took several steps towards them carrying a knife in his right hand.

The group later flagged down a passing police car and reported the incident.

When the car was stopped the black-handled kitchen knife was found in the boot.

Defence solicitor James Moncrieff said his client had been in the process of moving into a scatter-flat in Kirkcaldy.

“He had a large amount of kitchen items in the boot containing the kitchen knife. This group were not known to him,” he said.

“One of them had kicked the vehicle. He only had the knife in his hand for eight seconds in the CCTV.”

Sheriff Charles MacNair said: “The carrying of knives in public is not to be tolerated and the sooner people realise that, the better.”