Prison for Kettering man who spent birthday in police cell after waving knife around

A Kettering man who spent his birthday in a police cell after waving a knife around in a street has been put behind bars.

Joel Clarke was in Montagu Street when he was spotted with the kitchen knife at about 1.40am on July 15 last year.

The 31-year-old was taken into custody at the town’s Weekley Wood Justice Centre where he repeatedly shouted homophobic abuse at an officer, police said.

Last week Clarke, of Orchard Crescent, appeared in the dock after pleading guilty to having a knife in a public place and a public order offence.

Magistrates sitting in Northampton jailed him for 12 months and said waving a kitchen knife around in public risks ‘serious disorder’.