Man caught with knife ‘planning self-harm’

POLICE attending reports of a nighttime skirmish found a 32-year-old man in possession of a knife.

CCTV footage of the incident in Western Road, Leicester, showed Everette Morgan holding a knife as he tussled with several men.

Luc Chignell, prosecuting, told Leicester Crown Court: “It’s unclear what led to the defendant and others being on the street, but there was some form of disorder and confrontation.

“It may be that it was six of one and half-a-dozen of the other, but it’s clear the defendant was armed with a bladed article.”

Recorder Richard Davis said: “Someone could easily have been stabbed.”

Police discovered the knife in Morgan’s jacket, which he had taken off.

Steven Newcombe, mitigating, replied: “The incident was between friends and they knew he was in a difficult place, emotionally.

“He’d taken the knife out with a view to injuring himself and they were trying to stop him. It was only when the police arrived that matters calmed down.

“He was co-operative and compliant with the police.”

Morgan, of Lansdowne Road, Aylestone, Leicester, admitted possessing a knife in public on July 14.

Sentencing, Recorder Davis said: “Possessing a knife in public is treated as a very serious offence by the courts.

“If it happens again the inevitable sentence is immediate prison. This was relatively late at night when you’d had too much to drink, by your own admission.

“You took the knife for some sort of contemplated self-harm.

“I’ve seen on CCTV a struggle, or minor affray, between you and a group of three or four others who, I understand, were friends of yours who were trying to calm you down.

“We see at some stage the knife flashing around, but I accept you did cooperate fully with the police. Luckily, no damage to anyone ensued.”

Morgan was given a six-month jail sentence, suspended for one year, with 100 hours of unpaid work.

POLICE CALLED TO STRUGGLE AS FRIENDS TRIED TO INVERVENE