Blackpool man who came out of his home with a knife and screwdriver after argument is jailed

Residents heard a disturbance as defendant Ben Parton, 36, and his partner rowed at their home on Watson Road, Blackpool, at 1am on June 7.

Preston Crown Court heard they had mistakenly believed that Parton was the aggressor after his partner left the property, and several people went to his door.

Prosecuting, Charlie Brown said Parton, who suffers mental health difficulties, grabbed a knife and tool before he opened the door to them, but by the time police arrived he was calm.

Defending, Richard Archer said: " it was clearly an argument that could be heard by neighbours and people in the street, and it was that that led people to come to the door assuming she needed assistance - though of course the defendant says any aggression or violence was displayed by her towards him. but neighbours assumed it was the man being aggressive to the woman and started baying for the defendant.

"He believed they were coming to beat him up.

"He doesn't have a phone because he hears voices in his head and believes when phones are around him the voices are worse."

Jailing him for 146 days, Judge David Potter explained he was subject to a mandatory six month sentence as he already had a recent similar offence on his record, but gave him credit.

He added: " As a result of dispute between you and your girlfriend, police were called to your home to a report of a man who had come out of the house with a knife, but by the time police arrived you were entirely calm and compliant, and on being transported to the police station you made a full confession you had gone out with a knife and screwdriver, that you knew you had done something wrong, and that you need to offload that as truthful to the police.

"In the absence of that information you would not have been charged."