Man jailed for carrying knife into Shrewsbury shop
A Shrewsbury man has been jailed for more than four months after a shop assistant saw he was carrying a knife when he attempted to pay for cans of cider.
Peter Thomas had gone into the Spar shop in Conway Drive, Underdale, on March 6 to buy four cans of Scrumpy Jack cider, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard.
Mr Steven Bailey, prosecuting, said as he was getting his wallet out to pay, a shop assistant saw the 38-year-old had a knife.
She refused to serve him and pressed a panic button.
Thomas, of Abbots Road, Underdale, was arrested and pleaded guilty to being in possession of a knife at a previous court hearing.
The court was told he had multiple previous convictions for similar offences.
Mr Stephen Scully, defending, said Thomas suffers from mental health problems and sustained brain damage when he was involved in a serious road collision at the age of three.
He told the court that Thomas had been bullied for most of his life and he had carried knives to try to stop people from abusing or attacking him.
Mr Scully said: "On this day he's gone to Spar with the intention of purchasing some alcohol.
"He can't remember when and how the steak knife came to be in his pocket.
"His initial reaction was to put it back in his pocket and try to continue with the purchase."
Sentencing Thomas, Judge Peter Barrie said he had taken into consideration that Thomas had not used the knife to threaten the shop assistant and left the shop when asked.
He jailed Thomas for 146 days and ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the knife.
