Mansfield man must wait for jail decision after ‘flashing’ knife to pals in public

Officers were called to Bilborough Road, Mansfield, where Scott Blake, who was part of a group, was arrested “due to his demeanour”, on December 2, Mansfield Magistrates’ Court heard.

Sanjay Jerath, prosecuting, said CCTV showed him putting a knife in his pocket and later showing it to his friends.

The court heard he has 19 previous convictions for 32 offences, and was jailed for 10 months for possessing a knife and common assault in 2020.

Mr Jerath told magistrates: “Whenever you have an individual with a knife in a public place with second or third previous convictions, you must impose a six-month sentence, unless you find there are exceptional circumstances to justify not doing so.”

Blake, of Gladstone Street, Mansfield, admitted possessing the knife.

Vicky Clarson, mitigating, said Blake was originally charged with threatening to cause criminal damage and received a community order in December.

She said: “He thought that was the end of the case but he was arrested on January 7 and charged with being in possession of a knife.

“We don't know why it took the police so long to charge him for the knife. He simply had it on him and no harm was done as a result of that.”

She argued this "exceptional circumstance” would make it unjust to lock him up, adding the 2020 offences were “far worse than this one”.

Ms Clarson said Blake, aged 25, was in the communal garden of his supported accommodation at the time.

She said there was a “short video clip of him showing his friends the knife, but no indication it was brandished or used to threaten anyone”.

He has had some issues with his mental health, including psychosis and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Ms Clarson said: “At the time he wasn't being medicated and he was also drinking more than he should have and taking cannabis.”

Sentencing was adjourned, for a pre-sentence report, until March 21.