A MAN who narrowly avoided jail earlier this month for brandishing a knife in a public place found himself back in court this week for being drunk and disorderly in a public place.

47-year-old Thomas Fox pleaded guilty to the charge when he came before magistrates sitting in Swindon on Wednesday morning, but he escaped being jailed as the offence had been committed prior to his sentencing in the crown court.

The Staldon Road resident, who has suffered from a stroke which causes him to slur his words, admitted being drunk on The Mall on March 22 of this year and of carrying out disorderly behaviour.

Michelle Hewitt, on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service, told the magistrates that police had received a phone call shortly before 11pm that night to reports of a man who was shouting and swearing and possibly kicking out at cars.

“When they arrived they couldn’t find any damage to cars, but they found him drunk and shouting. He was arrested for being drunk and disorderly. Since being arrested for this offence he has been given a crown court suspended sentence order, although this is not in breach of that.”

Defending him, Sambreen Arif told the court: “He unfortunately suffered a stroke two years ago and is on medication. He had some alcohol that day and I don’t think he fully appreciated the mixture was not very good. He recalls being spoken to by the police officer but doesn’t recall shouting. He then spent a night in the cells before being released the following day.

The magistrates fined him for the offence, ordering that he pay £105 – which was reduced by a third due to his guilty plea – along with £85 in court costs and a £20 victim surcharge.