‘Public spirited’ pair followed knifeman

TWO friends told how they followed an armed man through busy shopping centre – even when he pointed a knife at them.

They outlined the incident to magistrates who heard that Joshua Tattersall, 19, had been challenged earlier by a police community support officer in The Meadows.

The pair then noticed a knife handle in back of the trousers of Tattersall, of Beauvale Drive, The Meadows at 2.45pm.

Tyler Wilson, 21, told the court: “It was in the rear of his waistband and so we followed him. He later turned round and pulled out the knife. He said if we carried on following him he was going to stab us.”

Mark Fielding, prosecuting, said Tattersall had told police that he did not threaten to stab them but claimed he would stab himself instead. Demolition worker Mr Wilson replied: “No, he was saying it directly. He had the knife and was pointing it.”

His friend Blake O’sullivan told the court that both men were threatened by Tattersall.

Mr O’sullivan, 26, borrowed a bike as part of the pursuit. He said Tattersall pulled the weapon out of his waistband.

“The PCSO was on his own. There were young women walking around with babies and young children. I was more concerned about them,” he told the JPS.

He said that Tattersall pulled out the knife. “His words were ‘why are you following me? Leave me alone or, I will swear to God, I will stab you.’

“He then put the knife back but had his hand on the handle and continued to look back and made threatening gestures.”

Tattersall admitted having a kitchen knife on Meadows Way but denied threatening the pair on June 19. The magistrates decided that he had made threats to them and ordered him to attend Nottingham Crown Court on August 29.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to assaulting a police sergeant after the knife incident.

Presiding magistrate Graham Roseblade said: “This was a bladed article offence committed in public, in a shopping area, where vulnerable people were present.”

Prosecutor Mr Fielding described the witnesses as “two public-spirited gentlemen.” Outside court, Mr Wilson said: “We were not scared. We wanted to keep an eye on him.”

Mr O’sullivan added: “I was just doing what a normal person would do.”