Man jailed for carrying knife (From York Press)

Paul Dobbin jailed for carrying knife

8:08am Wednesday 24th October 2012 in News By Megi Rychlikova, megi.rychlikova@thepress.co.uk

A MAN caught walking the streets of a York suburb at night with a knife has been jailed.

Kathryn Reeve, prosecuting, told the city’s magistrates police stopped Paul Leslie Dobbin, 40, in Jute Road, Acomb, in the early hours of September 3 and searched him.

In his pocket they found a lock knife locked with its blade in the open position.

Steve Munro, Dobbin’s solicitor, said Dobbin was “surprised” the weapon was in his pocket. He thought it had been in his rucksack and claimed he used the knife for fishing.

Dobbin, no fixed address and formerly of Chapelfields, pleaded guilty to carrying a knife in public and that his offence breached a conditional discharge imposed for stealing a bicycle. He was jailed for 16 weeks. 

It was his second conviction for carrying a knife in public. Before passing sentence, magistrates asked why the knife was in the locked position and where Dobbin kept his fishing equipment as he was homeless.

Mr Munro said Dobbin kept some items in his rucksack. He could not recall the position the knife was in.

Mr Munro said: “It wasn’t carried to threaten anyone or for his own protection.”

Ms Reeve said Dobbin was “in an inebriated condition” when police stopped him on September 3.

Mr Munro said Dobbin started drinking when he lost his home, but not during daytime.

Mr Munro said: “He has a couple of cans to get him to sleep.”

Dobbin was in contact with agencies and organisations that help homeless people and was on a waiting list for accommodation. He wanted to sort his life out, in particular in getting a roof over his head.