Sutton man armed himself with knife to ‘protect himself from foxes’ while sleeping in the garden

Police were called to an address on Brookfield Avenue where Joseph Young assumed they would give him a lift to another address at 10.30pm, on December 26, last year.

Prosecutor Andrew Conboy said he decided to sleep on the doorstep after an argument with his wife and he took a kitchen knife to protect himself from being attacked by foxes.

The court heard Young received a ten month sentence, suspended for 18 months, for battery and possession of an offensive weapon in 2017.

Because this is his second weapons offence he is liable to an automatic six-month prison sentence unless it would be unjust to jail him.

Vicky Clarkson, mitigating, said Young planned to sleep in the garden and he volunteered the knife to police when they spoke to him.

She said he has three children and has been in the relationship for 25 years but hasn't been before the courts for some time.

"As he knows from previous experience of sleeping in the garden, the area does have quite a lot of foxes," said Ms Clarson.

"He was bitten by one when he was aged 11. He wasn't walking around the streets threatening anyone."

Young, 44, of Beechdale Crescent, Sutton, admitted possession of a bladed article when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Tuesday.

He was released on unconditional bail to be sentenced on February 1 and a probation report was ordered.