A man found with a knife on one of Newcastle's busiest streets claimed it was a "precious" family heirloom.
James Brown had been out in the city centre with his brother in December last year when the pair became separated and he got lost.
A court heard that street rangers asked police to talk to the "distressed" 52-year-old, who was visiting the area to spend the festive period with his sibling, but he was searched after they smelled cannabis.
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No drugs were found but officers did discover a lock knife, magistrates in Newcastle were told.
Now, Brown, of James Street, in South Ayrshire, in Scotland, has been given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, after he pleaded guilty to possessing a bladed article.
Prosecutor, Marc Atkins, said police were asked to speak to Brown as he appeared distressed on Northumberland Street on December 22 last year.
"The officers could smell cannabis," Mr Atkins added. "They thought it was coming from the defendant, so they searched him.
"They didn't find any cannabis but they did find a lock knife. It was seized and the defendant was arrested."
The court heard that Brown, who has 31 offences on his record, claimed in interview that the blade was a "precious" family heirloom, which had been attached to his key ring for the last 20 years.
Sophie Allinson, defending, said: "He has pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and has nothing similar on his record."
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