Dudley man jailed for carrying knife again (From Dudley News)

Dudley man jailed for carrying knife again

2:30pm Friday 8th June 2012 in News

A 56 YEAR-old Dudley man with an "horrendous" criminal record has been jailed for nine months after he was caught carrying a knife on the streets for the third time in ten years.

Vincent Reid was spotted by the CCTV operator monitoring the town centre leaning against railings in King Street with the knife in his hand.

Police quickly rushed to the scene and when questioned Reid told the officers he had borrowed the knife which had a three inch blade from his brother to prepare food.

Recorder Abigail Nixon told Reid his record went back many years and included offences of violence adding: "I accept your offending has decreased in its gravity.

"But I do not accept the nonsensical excuse that you had borrowed this knife to do some cooking,. It is quite clear to me that you carry a knife routinely for your own protection."

She said it was clear Reid - a man who was no stranger to violence - was also a heavy drinker and when a knife was present during an argument it could easily lead to tragic consequences including injury or death.

"You know full well it is illegal to carry a knife," she told Reid at Wolverhampton Crown Court. "You certainly have not learned your lesson."

Reid of Grange Road admitted possessing the knife and, the court heard, he had similar convictions for carrying a lock knife and then a butterfly knife.

Mr Robert Perry defending said alcohol had played a part in the offence as he stressed the knife had not been brandished by Reid or used to threaten.