Sobbing knifeman Brett Trevor who brandished blade in Kettering street sent to jail

A man shown on CCTV brandishing a knife at a group of people in Kettering cried his way through a hearing that ended with a prison sentence.

A court was shown alarming footage of Brett Stuart Trevor waving a knife around in Ebenezer Place, off Silver Street, in Kettering.

He was in a trio who were involved in an argument with a separate gang of four when he began pointing the knife and shouting.

The 31-year-old of Highfield Road, Kettering, had been homeless when the incident occurred at 11pm on on April 19 and the court was told that he was facing difficulties in his personal life.

Trevor admitted possession of the knife when he appeared before Northampton Crown Court via videolink from HMP Peterborough on Thursday (August 11).

The court was shown CCTV of Trevor running out from the side of a taxi shop in Ebenezer Place, pointing a large knife at the group who were standing at the junction with Silver Street. Two people – his girlfriend and another man – were behind him as he motioned aggressively toward the other group before leaving the scene.

After the incident he handed the knife to his girlfriend, Chelsea Burgess, 24, who was in the public gallery in court. Burgess, of Aster Road, Kettering, admitted possession of a knife at a hearing in June and was given a 16 week prison sentence, suspended for a year.

Prosecuting, barrister Caroline Bray, said that Trevor’s record included previous knife possession offences, criminal damage, stealing cars, threats to kill and conspiracy to rob. He had also served a 44-month prison sentence for battery and robbery in 2017.

Mitigating for Trevor, barrister Micaila Williams said: “Your honour may take the conclusion that he was trying to ward off the group. While he goes towards them on a couple of occasions, he warns them off then takes a step back.

"On other occasions he had the knife behind is back, not wanting to use the knife other than to protect himself and his girlfriend.”

Ms Williams said that her client had found the past three-and-a-half months on remand ‘very difficult’, adding: “He thought he’d left the prison environment behind.”

Trevor could be seen wiping his eyes and bowing his head throughout the hearing.

The court heard that, following his arrest for the knife incident, Trevor racially abused a police officer at Kettering custody suite. At an earlier hearing at Northampton Magistrates’ Court he admitted a racially-aggravated public order offence and was sentenced to 14 days in prison which he has already served.

Recorder John Benson QC said: “You brandished the knife in a menacing way.

"You were aggressive toward the other group who themselves were being aggressive.

"This is just the sort of situation which can easily get out of hand. Two facing groups with individuals armed with a knife gives rise to a risk of serious disorder.

"Fortunately it didn’t come about because you had the good sense to move away from the group.”

Taking into account his early guilty plea, Recorder Benson sentenced Trevor to ten months in prison, of which he will serve half before he is released.