Schoolboys were threatened by a drunken city centre knifeman after calling him a 'dirty old man' for urinating next to a bus-stop.
Navarupan Logeswaran was spotted by two young lads angrily shouting at a bus he had just missed before relieving himself on the streets of Newcastle in the middle of the afternoon. He then pulled out a Stanley knife on the children and said he would kill them.
Newcastle Crown Court heard it was around 2.40pm on February 28 last year that the offence happened on Westmorland Road. Katie Spence, prosecuting, said: "He appeared to miss the bus and was visibily annoyed, shouting 'f*** you' at the bus.
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"He was seen urinating next to a bus stop by two boys. The pair commented that he was a dirty old man, at which he pulled from his jeans pocket a Stanley knife and shouted 'I will kill you' then walked into an off-licence."
One of the youngsters phoned his dad, who arrived on the scene, went into the shop and challenged Logerwaran. Miss Spence said: "The father believed he had a knife in his pocket and punched him once in the face. The defendant immediately fell to the floor and the police arrived."
One of the victims said: "The whole incident made me scared to go out and I'm worried in case I see him."
Logerwaran told police he had the knife for work but admitted he had not been at work that day. He claimed he produced it as he felt threatened. The 37-year-old pleaded guilty to possessing a knife in a public place and was sentenced to an 18-month community order.
Recorder Mark McKone KC told him: "You pulled the knife out of your pocket in front of two boys when you were drunk. Normally, people who carry knives go to prison.
"If I impose a prison sentence today it would be quite a short sentence. Very importantly, you have got no previous convictions."
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