Binge drinker damaged tag on clothing

Justin Teale, who was caught after trying to remove a security tag from clothing, told police the weapon was a potato peeler.

Teale, 47, of London Road, Layton, pleaded guilty possessing a blade in public and causing damage.

Kerry Grieve, prosecuting, said staff at JD Sports became suspicious because Teale had been in a changing room with only one article of clothing for a long time on September 2 at 4pm.

When challenged by a security officer, Teale was found to have damaged a security tag.

He struggled with the officer and threatened that five men would beat him up. Police found a small knife in his pocket.

Trevor Colebourne, defending, said his client was drinking about three to four large bottles of strong cider a day with the result his liver function was just 20 per cent.

Teale had been diagnosed with severe depression and alcohol-induced psychosis.

The day of the offence, Teale had been drinking, the court was told.

The knife, which he said was a potato peeler, he had used the day before and he had forgotten it was in his pocket.

Teale was sentenced to 17 weeks’ prison suspended for 12 months, with up to
20 days’ rehabilitation to be supervised by the Probation Service, and ordered to pay £65 compensation with £85 costs plus £115 victims’ surcharge by District Judge Jeff Brailsford sitting at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court.