Dalton man found with flick knife at petrol station in Windermere sentenced

Christopher Kenneth Johnson, of Lancaster Street, was searched by police at Troutbeck Bridge Filling Station in Windermere after they smelled cannabis coming from the car he was in and found a flick knife, South Cumbria Magistrates' Court was told.

The 37-year-old said that this was a novelty lighter purchased in Spain and he was at the petrol station to get a new lighter as that one had run out of gas.

Mr Lee Dacre, solicitor for the prosecution, said: "You push a button on the knife, and it flicks up and fixes into place.

"The defendant told police 'yeah it is a knife, I had it on me'.

"He has a background of previous offences and the most recent of them being in 2008 at Preston Crown Court for wounding someone."

South Cumbria Magistrates' Court in Barrow.

Mr Michael Graham, defence counsel, explained that this was used as a lighter by his client rather than as a knife.

"The blade was put away and, in his bag," he said.

"There is nothing surreptitious in any way.

"When he was being searched, he even showed the officer how it worked.

"He would not have taken it out with him if he knew it was against the law.

"He has turned himself around since his last conviction and is now working on offshore wind farms and has qualifications as a Level 3 supervisor."

Mr Graham urged the court to not give him a prison sentence and 'completely undo all his good work'.

"You had a blade in a public place and there is no alternative to then cast a custodial sentence, but we will suspend it," Charles Crewdson, chair of the bench, said. "You have a 12-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months and during that time you must complete 120 hours of unpaid work."

His employment and the fact he is providing for his children was the reason the bench decided to suspend his sentence.

An order was made for the knife to be handed over to the police and Johnson was ordered to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £128, totalling £213.