A man has been prosecuted for having a knife after self-harming in a public place.
Appearing at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on 11 November for trial after denying a charge of possession of a knife, the 23-year-old – who we have chosen not to name – changed his plea to guilty.
Prosecutor Ben Worthington said the man, who lives in Old Walcot, Swindon, was arrested for matters that did not attain a charge when he was suicidal on a bridge on 25 July this year.
When he was searched, a Stanley knife was located on him. In a custody interview, he told officers that he had found the work blade in his rucksack and used it to self-harm.
Legal adviser Ian Jefferies described the situation as “dreadfully sad”, but added that there was no lawful reason for the knife to be in the defendant’s possession.
The father-of-two told the magistrates that he had the knife in his rucksack because he had been working on his son’s bedroom.
He said he has been “taking steps forward” to address his mental health issues. “I couldn’t be more apologetic”, he added.
The defendant will be sentenced at the same court on 9 December. The starting point is a six-month custodial sentence.
