A MAN who had just been released from prison armed himself with a knife claiming ‘it’s a dangerous world’.

Daniel Clements, aged 21 and of no fixed abode, was seen brandishing a seven and a half inch kitchen knife as he walked down Bewsey Road, Bewsey just hours after leaving Altcourse Prison on December 18 last year.

Sentencing him to four years in prison Judge Thomas Teague said: “It seems to me this case is as bad an example of this type of offence. You attempt to justify it by saying it’s a dangerous world.”

Police received a call saying that Clements had been seen walking along the road waving the knife.

Officers arrived at the scene and arrested Clements, who had just been released from prison following a 12 week sentence for criminal damage.

Warrington Crown Court heard last Friday how Clements had a number of previous convictions for criminal damage.

Clements pleaded not guilty to the offence but was convicted after a trial and Judge Teague said that in an interview the defendant had admitted concocting a false defence to escape conviction.

Nova Howarth, defending said that he had been frank in the initial police interview and there was no evidence that anyone felt threatened by Clements.

“He felt it was necessary to arm himself with a weapon as soon as he came out of prison,” she added.

Ms Howarth said that during his time in prison he had been described as a model prisoner after serving 104 days on remand following arrest last December.

But Judge Teague reminded the court that in interview Clements had admitted to intending to buy another knife.

He added: “All over the country and particularly in Warrington there’s a culture among young people of casual violence and carrying weapons. A knife with a seven and a half inch blade is a lethal weapon.”

As Clements was sent down he laughed and said “no way - four years”.