A MAN who was spared prison after threatening a shopkeeper with a knife has been jailed after he was caught carrying another weapon at Blackburn Railway Station.

Bolton Crown Court heard how 20-year-old Dane Fort was given a suspended prison sentence in October last year but he failed to do unpaid work.

Fort has now been before the court again and re-sentenced.

Thomas Sherrington, prosecuting, told how, at 8.15pm on May 9, police spotted Fort at Blackburn Railway Station.

“They saw the defendant acting strangely and as they approached him his eyes seemed glazed,” said Mr Sherrington.

Fort was searched and, in his bag, they discovered a small kitchen knife and he was arrested.

“Initially, in interview, he said he didn’t know the knife was in his bag. He was moving property from one house to another,” said Mr Sherrington.

Fort, formerly of Trawden Avenue, Smithills and now of Sandpiper Square, Burnley, eventually pleaded guilty to possessing a knife in public and also admitted breaching the terms of his suspended sentence.

The court heard how Fort previously threatened a shopkeeper at Bennetts News, Bolton, with a knife. As a result he received a sentence of 16 months in prison, suspended for two years with conditions that he obey a 12-week curfew, does 200 hours unpaid work and participates in 24 days of rehabilitation activities.

When he failed to attend work sessions he was hauled before the court with an additional 10 hours of work added, but he continued to flout the court order.

Nicholas Ross, defending, stated that Fort has never been to prison before.

“He is entirely realistic as to his position and understands he is staring down the proverbial barrel,” he said.

He stressed that, at the railway station, Fort was not brandishing the knife and it was one item among his belongings.

“He is very sorry,” said Mr Ross, who added that Fort has suffered trauma due to the death of his father in 2017 and has an on/off relationship with his mother.

“He does appear to be a young man lacking maturity who has a considerable amount of work to do,” said Mr Ross.

The Honorary Recorder of Bolton, Judge Martin Walsh, sentenced Fort to 16 months in a young offenders’ institution.

He told Fort, "Only an immediate custodial term can be justified in this case."