A THUG who injured a man with a penknife at a petrol station has been spared jail.

Bolton Crown Court heard how Christian Frodsham, who had been drinking and taking cocaine, went to the Shell petrol station in Crompton Way in the early hours of June 27 to buy a mixer pop to go with the vodka he had.

But after getting out of a taxi the 21-year-old got involved in a argument with Dominic Fish, who was also at the petrol station with friends.

After the two men squared up to each other Frodsham went to the counter, but then moved towards Mr Fish again, pulling a penknife out of his pocket.

Lisa Wilson, prosecuting, said: "He lunged towards him with a slashing motion."

Mr Fish suffered an injury to his hand and Frodsham got back into the taxi and drove off.

He later told police he did not know why he had been carrying the knife, describing himself as "stupid" for doing so and added he had no intention of hurting anyone.

The following month, on July 8, Frodsham, who described himself as a gambling addict, stole his brother's Playstation 4 and sold it to Cash Generators for £130, using the money to play roulette machines in betting shops.

Then on August 17, when he found out he was wanted by police, Frodsham, of no fixed address, rang them offering to turn himself in.

When he was told there was no one available to collect him, he threatened to cause criminal damage to get arrested, carrying out the threat by hurling a stone through a window at the Castle Hill children's centre, Tonge Moor.

In court he pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm, affray, possessing a knife, theft and criminal damage.

Kimberley Morton, defending, said that Frodsham's behaviour has deteriorated since the death of his father last year.

Recorder Michael Blakey told Frodsham: "What seems to be the cause of your offending is drink and drugs. It is obvious you have problems.

"Unless you get a grip of the difficulties you have your offending will escalate."

He stressed that a limited prison term he could impose would be of "little value" to either the community or Frodsham.

Instead he sentenced him to 16 months in jail, suspended for 24 months and ordered that he be subject to an intensive community order for 40 days.