Police raced to East Kilbride town centre after a man phoned them and warned he had a knife.
But Hamilton Sheriff Court heard that serial offender Thomas Mina didn't intend to hurt anyone, he simply wanted locked up.
Mina, 31, appeared from custody via videolink on Friday.
He admitted unlawful possession of a kitchen knife on September 12 last year.
The court heard this was his fifth conviction for having a blade or an offensive weapon.
Jennifer McCabe, prosecuting, said Mina called the police from a public phone box across the road from East Kilbride fire station shortly after 11am.
She told the court: "He advised them he was in possession of a sharp kitchen knife but that he had not harmed anyone or himself.
"Due to the nature of the call, four police officers attended immediately.
"They saw the accused still inside the phone box. He was in possession of a kitchen knife with a blade of approximately 10cm.
"The police officers instructed him to put the knife down and he threw it into a shopping bag. He was then arrested."
Defence agent Stephen McQuillan said Mina has "significant" mental health issues.
He has spent considerable periods in prison and struggles to cope when released.
Mr McQuillan added: "He phoned the police, said he had a knife and asked them to come and get him as he needed help."
Mina is currently in jail until August after being sentenced in a separate case at Glasgow Sheriff Court.
Sheriff Thomas Millar jailed him for another year, to start when that sentence ends.
The sheriff told Mina: "Hopefully these periods of imprisonment are long enough to allow you to get some help while you are in custody."
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