Corby man jailed after police found two knives on him on his birthday

Daniel Zelos of Malton Walk, Corby, appeared at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday charged with two counts of possession of a knife.

The court heard how police had been called to Zelos’s home at 1.30am on March 3 and found him shouting and swearing in the street.

They took him inside and advised him to go to bed but he followed them out into the street, still shouting.

He was arrested for being drunk and disorderly.

Prosecuting, Stella Moses said: “He wouldn’t comply with them and they had to use force.

“The defendant was taken to the ground and handcuffed.

“Officers noticed a kitchen knife where he was lying.”

Zelos, 32, swore at the officers and told one of them he was going to burn down their house and that he was going to kill them.

After the defendant was arrested he was searched and officers discovered a Stanley knife in his pocket.

When questioned, he admitted drinking seven or eight cans of lager and said he didn’t remember all of the incident.

Ms Moses said: “When questioned, Zelos said that the threats were ‘empty threats’.

“He said he’d no intention to use the knives.

“He said he was carrying them because he’d had a few issues and was concerned for his own safety.

“People who are after him in Corby carry knives and are not afraid to use them.”

The court heard that Zelos, who pleaded guilty to the offences at an earlier hearing, has a string of previous convictions in relation to drink but no other knife offences

Mitigating, Richard Bolch said: “He’d been told by people in his local area that there were people out to get him.

“This was his birthday. There’d been an argument with his mother and she called police.

“The police gave him words of advice. He was given numerous opportunities to calm down.

“He accepts that the officers would have seen the knives and that would have caused fear because prior to that there were threats to the officers.

“He would say they were empty threats.”

District Judge Tim Daber heard that Zelos apologised to officers during interview. Mr Bolch said that Zelos was a ‘big drinker’

He added: “Last time he went to prison he was stabbed in the ear and lost his ear and required 40 stitches.

“He suffers with his mental health and paranoia and can’t remember why he picked up these knives on that day.

“He’s no previous convictions for knife crime. All his previous convictions are for neighbourhood disputes.”

Sentencing Zelos, Judge Daber said: “This incident is close to being a case where there was a risk of serious disorder.

“You had in your possession two knives and you were very drunk at the time.

“It’s almost impossible to fail to notice the number of people that are victims of knife crime.

“By carrying knives you make the likelihood of that much greater.”

Zelos was sentenced to an 18 week prison term for each offence of being in possession of a knife, to run concurrently. He was ordered to pay a £253 in fines and costs.