Suspended sentence for Kettering man who was caught with knife

A Kettering man who was caught with a knife has been handed a suspended prison sentence.

Andrew Shanks will have to complete 80 hours of unpaid work as part of his punishment after being arrested on July 5.

The 39-year-old was found with the blade in Gold Street, Wellingborough, when his vehicle was stopped during an ANPR operation at about 3pm.

Shanks, of Park Road, pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article when he appeared before Northampton Magistrates’ Court.

This month he returned to the same court to be sentenced where magistrates gave him four months in prison but suspended the sentence for 12 months.

Shanks must pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £154. Magistrates also made an order depriving him of his rights to the knife.

At the time of the operation Chief Inspector Nathan Murray said: “We want to utilise all of our resources as part of this week of action and our ANPR network is a truly invaluable asset in order to bring the fight back to the criminals.

“This operation shows our proactive capability in finding people who would look to use the roads to commit crime.”