A drunken beggar who pointed a kitchen knife at two Leicester railway station employees and a commuter has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.
Leicester Crown Court was told that Sean Michael Rutherford was on bail at the time of the incident, for hitting a police community support officer on the back with a crutch.
Sentencing, Judge Robert Brown said: "It would be very alarming for people to know you're begging at the railway station armed with an eight-inch knife.
"You used it to threaten violence. You've a history of more than 70 offences on your record, including public order offences, and have been repeatedly convicted for possessing knives and other weapons.
"You've threatened people in the past and behaved in a thoroughly offensive manner to members of the public and railway employees.
"They need protecting from you."
Alan Murphy, prosecuting, said at 7am on November 26, a member of railway staff saw the defendant sitting near the taxi waiting area.
Rutherford, who has a prosthetic leg after losing a limb on a train track several years ago, was known as someone who begged in and around the station. The member of staff asked him to move on.
Mr Murphy said: "Rutherford reached into his pocket and pulled out an eight-inch kitchen knife.
"He held it out in front of him with the blade pointing upwards and then put it back in his pocket."
The station worker moved back and alerted the police, before telling a colleague – who was also going to move Rutherford on – not to approach him.
Mr Murphy said: "The defendant got up and pulled the knife out again."
A commuter then came rushing up to the two shocked employees saying: "He's just pulled a knife on me."
Rutherford was then seen talking to someone outside nearby Elizabeth House, before they ran off "looking frightened", said Mr Murphy.
The police detained him in the city centre, near an alley where he dumped the knife.
Rutherford (37), formerly of St James Terrace Hostel, in the city, admitted possessing a knife, threatening behaviour and being intoxicated at a railway station.
He also admitted common assault on a police community support officer who confiscated a can of lager he was drinking from outside Mansfield House police station, in the city – an area where outside drinking is prohibited.
Rutherford hit him on the back with a crutch.
Olwen Davies, mitigating, said the defendant turned to drink and became a "chronic alcoholic" after losing his leg.
Judge Brown said the maximum term for possessing a knife was four years, but he was giving a discount for Rutherford's guilty pleas.
