A man found sleeping with a 12-inch knife up his sleeve in a Nottinghamshire park has been jailed. Robert Johnstone, of Shrewsbury Road, Worksop, was approached by paramedics from East Midlands Ambulance Service- after he was suspected to be drunk, lying in the middle of the grass at The Canch Park, Worksop, at around 2pm on August 31, 2022.
Johnstone, 46, refused help from paramedics and police were notified after emergency responders spotted what they believed to be a knife up his sleeve. Worksop neighbourhood PC Lee Ryan attended the park shortly afterwards and clocked Johnstone sitting on a bench slurring his words.
In an attempt to find out what was wrong PC Ryan then spotted something yellow up Johnstone’s sleeve – becoming even more suspicious when he attempted to push the knife further up his sleeve. A 12-inch Stanley knife then fell out of his sleeve.
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Johnstone appeared before magistrates in Nottingham on Monday, May 15 after pleading guilty to possession of a bladed article. and was jailed for 20 weeks. It comes as the force is this week shining a light on the work being done to tackle knife crime in the county in support of the national campaign Operation Sceptre.
PC Ryan, who led the investigation, said: “We say it time and time again, but anyone found to be carrying knives and offensive weapons will be hauled up in front of the courts and dealt with. The use of knives and weapons can have deadly consequences, to carry a weapon in public is incredibly reckless and dangerous – you are not only putting yourself in danger but the members of the community too.
“I hope Johnstone’s sentence sends a message to anyone contemplating carrying a knife. You will be dealt with and could end up serving time behind bars for your crime, we won’t tolerate anyone in our community being placed in danger because someone has decided to arm themselves with a weapon.”
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