A 19-year-old dad was locked up for assaulting his partner's friends and slashing a man with a knife.

Thomas Busby of Salisbury Avenue, Westcliff, was sent to a young offenders institution for four months after pleading guilty to assault, possessing an offensive weapon and threatening and abusive behaviour.

Gregor McKinley, prosecuting, told Southend Magistrates Court yesterday that Busby got into a dispute with two of his ex-girlfriend's friends in Alexandra Street, Southend, at 2am on June 8.

Busby pushed a 17-year-old girl onto the bonnet of a car, produced a lock knife with an eight-centimetre blade and began waving it around.

During the incident the other male friend suffered a small cut to his hand and police attended.

In mitigation Lynn Harvey said that the victims had never seen the knife which only came to light when it was voluntarily handed over to police by the defendant.

She claimed that Busby only had the knife on him because he was looking after it for a friend.

Ms Harvey said Busby and his partner, who were now reconciled, had spilt up four days before the incident and Busby had been drowning his sorrows before bumping into the 17 -year-old-girl who started shouting at him on Alexandra Road.

Deputy District Judge Karl Teper said: "Carrying a knife in public must result in a custodial sentence - it would be impossible for any other sentence."

Published Tuesday October 15, 2002

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