CLAIMS by an Isle of Wight man the tiny knife he was in possession of was used on his dad's chicken farm for opening packages, saved him from immediate imprisonment. 

Leon Paul Carr, of Mitchell Avenue, Ventnor, admitted possessing a knife in Newport on April 24, at a previous hearing at the Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court.

The 43-year-old reappeared for sentencing at the same venue on Friday (August 2). 

A member of the public concerned Carr had left the Prince of Wales pub in Newport drunk, pushing a cart with archery arrows in it and another weapon, on South Street, called the police, said Liz Miller, prosecuting.

When officers caught up with Carr, they discovered he had a catapult and had, after a search, carried a lock knife on a keyring, with a three-quarter inch blade.

When questioned at Newport Police Station, Carr said: "I knew I shouldn't have had that on me."

He also told the police he had bought the weapons that day, because his father has a chicken farm and that he helps him by eradicating pests.

Carr, unemployed, also claimed he used the lock knife around the farm to open packages.

An aggravating feature of his offence was that he was convicted of possessing a bladed article in 2015, which carried a prison sentence, Ms Miller told the court.

For Carr, Oscar Vincent said his client had not acted suspiciously and was able to produce a receipt for the weapons, which were still in their wrapping.

"He had not made any threats with the items and that the small blade was such a small item, he forgot he had it on his keyring. It was only produced when he was searched and made no threat with it," Mr Vincent said.

Carr, with 27 previous convictions for 55 offences, was last in court six years ago.

Magistrates accepted Carr's version of events, but warned him he came close to being jailed.

Instead, Carr was handed four months' imprisonment, suspended for a year, with an order to complete ten rehabilitation sessions and to pay a £154 surcharge.