Northampton man 'extremely lucky' not to be jailed after carrying knife in public in Burton Latimer

A Northampton man was 'extremely lucky' not to be sent to prison after breaching a suspended sentence by carrying a knife in public in Burton Latimer.

Bradley Line was arrested in Coles Court in May after surrendering the weapon to police, which he said he had as his partner's father had threatened him.

The 22-year-old, of Regent Street, breached a suspended sentence for dangerous driving and handling stolen goods in London and was on bail for further driving offences at the time.

But Northampton Crown Court heard on Wednesday (August 25) that Line had been unable to complete a rehabilitation programme because of the coronavirus pandemic so he should be given another chance.

Her Honour Judge Rebecca Crane sentenced him to six months in jail, suspended for 12 months, after he pleaded guilty at Northampton Magistrates' Court in May.

"You are coming perilously close to going into custody, you are extremely lucky to be going out through that door and not that door.

"This really is your final chance as you have committed offences almost every year for the last few years which have got more and more serious."

Lucia Harrington, prosecuting, said police were called to Coles Court after a report of a man with a knife at around 7.20pm on May 3.

Line was found in a taxi nearby and handed over the weapon stashed in his waistband.

The defendant told officers as he was arrested: "I don't carry knives but I was threatened by her dad as he said he would beat me up and I was worried."

The offence put Line in breach of a two-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months imposed by Snaresbrook Crown Court on November 16, 2020.

The defendant had damaged a police van and a parked car with a stolen vehicle during a police chase in Cambridge Heath, north east London, in September 2018.

Line was also on bail at the time of the Burton Latimer incident after being given a two-year community order on May 6, for further driving offences.

Natalie Burman, defending, said it would be 'unjust' to activate the suspended sentence as Covid has stopped her client from completing a course which could have prevented his offending.

Line has since moved in with his grandmother and stayed out of trouble, got a steady job at and has had no issues with his partner's father.

"If he got a custodial sentence, it would take him back to square one which is such an important factor with rehabilitation," Ms Burman said.

As well as the suspended sentence, which is consecutive to the other jail term, Judge Crane fined Line £200, and ordered him to complete 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

"If you breach this order you really have ran out of chances and you will find yourself going straight to prison," she warned him.