Alcoholic with a law degree in court after armed threat

AN alcoholic with a law degree threatened a neighbour with a knife because he believed she was taunting him.

Nottingham Crown Court heard how 64-year-old Neil Harpham held the woman against the wall while clutching the weapon after she told him “the winner takes it all”.

Earlier that day, Harpham had been refused entry to a courthouse after turning up smelling of alcohol.

The case he was involved in went against him. Then he bought more drink and caused the scene with the blade at the communal block of flats where he lives.

Imposing a nine-month jail term, suspended for 18 months, Judge Stuart Rafferty KC said: “You have got a law degree, you’re an intelligent man. You had a drink before you went to court and the court took a view you were under the influence and refused to let you in.

“The prosecution went against you when perhaps it should not have done and you went back to the pub and drank a lot more. You then went to the off-licence and by the evening more drink had been taken and that led to this incident.

“I have no doubt you thought this woman was taunting you and, having been drinking, that lit the blue touchpaper and having produced the knife you threatened the lady with it. Thankfully there was no injury because had there been you would be going to prison.

“There has been no more trouble since despite you still living close to each other and you accept the time has come for you to get to grips with your alcoholism.

“You are 64 now. There is not much time left for you to do it and if you don’t you will simply drink yourself to death and what a waste that would be.”

Lauren Butts, prosecuting, said that when Harpham got home on August 5 last year the victim and others were outside.

“She said to him ‘the winner takes it all’ and he grabbed her face and held her against a wall. When she looked down he was folding a kitchen knife with a seven-inch blade. Threats were made and she pushed him away and the defendant then ran away.”

Harpham, of The Oval, Sutton-in-ashfield, who admitted possession of a bladed article and affray, has eight previous convictions for 16 offences.

The judge ordered him to carry out 20 rehabilitation sessions. Harpham’s barrister Chris Brewin said he had nothing to add in mitigation.