A HOMELESS man has been handed a jail sentence for brandishing a seven-inch blade in Shotton.

Appearing at Mold Crown Court, 46-year-old Mark Williams was sentenced to spend 28 weeks in prison after he was spotted with a kitchen knife in the Flintshire town’s high street.

The prosecution, Siôn ap Mihangel, told the hearing how on June 5 that Williams admitted to being in possession of the blade in public before North East Wales Magistrates Court.

He said that Williams was spotted by a member of the public on June 3 in the main shopping area of Shotton and officers of North Wales Police were called.

Reports read out in court say that Williams was spotted walking the street whilst thought to be brandishing a seven-inch blade, according to public eyewitnesses.

Officers responded and spotted Williams walking about the high street with a bottle of wine in one hand and another in his pocket, said Mr ap Mihangel.

Williams was confronted and officers drew their tasers. They demanded that Williams show what he was concealing in his pocket, before the knife was revealed.

He dropped the blade to the ground and was arrested at the scene. It was here that he stated his intentions were to harm himself.

In police interviews, he tells officers that he had taken the blade from the Old Quay House in Connah’s Quay and that he intended to kill himself and did not want to cause harm to anyone else.

Mr ap Mihangel told the judge how Williams has a history of 42 previous convictions for 96 offences – some of which also include having bladed weapons in public previously.

The defence, John Weate, claims that Williams cooperated fully throughout the process, admitting to offences at the earliest opportunity and asked that the judge grants the maximum credit for that.

On Williams behalf, the court was told of his living situation after being released from prison became ‘quite desperate’ and finding himself homeless on multiple occasions.

He says that Williams acted out of desperation rather than having any “nefarious intent” and did not resist police when they were called to the scene or throughout the process that followed.

Judge Nicola Jones passed her sentence and said that Williams caused ‘serious alarm’ by branding the blade but commended him for his cooperation and acknowledges that he is on the road to rehabilitation and working to get his life in order.

She added that it was not viable to suggest suspending the sentence as the risk for Williams due to his risk of reoffending in future.

The judge also ordered that the seized blade be destroyed following a forfeiture and destruction order.