A MAN who threatened to cut the throats of police officers has been jailed for two years.

Joshua Tyssen, 23, appeared before York Crown Court after pleading guilty to one charge of affray and one charge of possessing a bladed weapon.

The court heard Tyssen was on bail for an affray offence when police officers spotted him close to the Acomb Hotel in Kingsway, just after midnight on October 2.

He acknowledged the officers, but then began to run in the opposite direction.

The officers gave chase and grabbed his left arm, where they felt what turned out to be a six-inch kitchen knife concealed in his sleeve.

Bronia Hartley, prosecuting, told the court heard that while he was being transported to custody in York, Tyssen repeatedly banged his head on the cell in the van and shouted at officers and told them he would have “slit” their necks.

The incident occurred only days after police confronted Tyssen at a house in Stuart Road, where he had been found harming himself with a knife in the early hours.

He refused to hand over the weapon and threatened officers with it before being arrested and charged with affray.

Neil Kutte, mitigating, told the court Tyssen, of no fixed address, wanted to apologise publicly for his behaviour, which he understood was “entirely unacceptable”, and said Tyssen was “well aware he needs to be punished”.

Judge Shaun Spencer QC told Tyssen there was “no lawful or legitimate purpose I can think of for walking around in public with a six-inch kitchen knife up the sleeve of your clothing.

“I do not think a suspended sentence is possible. It seems to me, looking at the history, there is no basis for thinking you would last very long on a suspended sentence.”

The court heard Tyssen had previous convictions for possessing an offensive weapon in public, public order, affray and battery.

He was sentenced to 12 months in prison for affray and 12 months for possession of a knife in public, to be served consecutively.