Machete motorcyclist said weapons were for clearing undergrowth in Coventry park

[dutchman]

An off-road motorcyclist who was caught in a Coventry park with two machetes has been jailed.



The judge accepted that Steven John had borrowed the blades from his Duke of Edinburgh instructor dad to clear undergrowth, but ruled that “having weapons of this kind in public is a danger”.

John was seen riding through Red Hills park in Longford on October 2 and a complaint was made to the police.

Prosecutor Philip Brunt said that officers followed the tracks into the woods where they found John with one machete over the handlebars and a second in a bag.

When John, who was subject to a 12-week suspended prison sentence at the time for driving while disqualified, was arrested he said he had the machetes for cutting back brambles.

However, the 44-year-old, of Walsgrave Street, Longford, pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to two charges of having a bladed article in a public place.

He was jailed for 26 weeks – consecutive to a 12-week suspended prison sentence which he was ordered to serve in full.

Jailing John, Judge Stephen Eyre QC told him: “I will accept you had these machetes for clearing undergrowth and breaking wood, and the like.

“But even in those circumstances, having weapons of this kind in public is a danger. It causes upset and distress to members of the public.

“You were subject to a suspended sentence when you committed this offence, and you are a man with a raft of previous convictions for offences which include robbery, assault, public order and two for possessing offensive weapons.”

William Douglas-Jones, mitigating for John, said: “There were two machetes. One was sheathed and in a bag, and the other was over the handlebars and not being held by Mr Jones.

“It was for good purpose. It was not being used for any violence and was not used to threaten the officers.

“This area, while open to the public, was not a busy place. The officers had to follow the motorcycle tracks.”

He said the machetes belonged to John’s father, a Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme instructor who used them to instruct young people on how to clear an area and build a bivouac, from whom John had borrowed them to cut back some brambles.

[Melisandre]

There s no such Street as Walsgrave Street in Longford .

[rebbonk]

I wonder why they didn't charge him with various motoring offences as well?

Looking at his record, I think he must have caught the judge on a good day!

[dutchman]

I wonder why they didn't charge him with various motoring offences as well?

They did apparently, in a separate case heard in the magistrates court:

Steven John, 44, of Woolgrove Street, Longford, admitted driving while disqualified, driving a vehicle without a valid certificate, driving without insurance and failing to answer bail. He was given a 12-week prison sentence suspended for a year, banned from driving for 30 months and ordered to pay a £30 victim surcharge.

[dutchman]

There's no such Street as Walsgrave Street in Longford.

Woolgrove? Walsgrave? It's all the same to Telegraph reporters!

[rebbonk]

They did apparently, in a separate case heard in the magistrates court

Thank you Dutchman, I missed that.