DEALING with the aftermath of a relationship breakdown and an on-going court case a man began self-harming with a seven inch kitchen knife in public.

Receiving reports of the incident from the town centre on Monday evening the officers tracked down Steven Beeton, formerly of no fixed abode but currently living on White Beam Court and found him sitting on a wall on Reading Street with the knife shortly after 5pm.

On Wednesday morning the 30-year-old came before magistrates sitting in Swindon where he admitted being in possession of the knife in a public place.

Prosecuting, Nick Barr told the magistrates: “When the officers told him to drop the knife he did. The ambulance attended and he was treated for injuries to his face. He had cut himself superficially to the side of his face, chest and tongue. He had smoked heroin and crack cocaine in the early hours.

“He admitted possession of the knife and said he had taken it to self-harm, and he didn’t intend to harm others with it.”

The court heard that he was due to appear in the magistrates court on July 6 facing charges of common assault and theft.

“He is feeling very despondent and down as a result of the ongoing case which is linked to the breakdown of a relationship and it has all got a bit much,” said his defence, Mark Glendenning.

He was due to have an appointment with the probation service but the court heard the letter had been sent to the wrong address. A second appointment was scheduled for Tuesday, but as he was in police custody he had been unable to attend.

The magistrates adjourned the case and postponed his court date next week so all matters could be tied up together. He will next appear at Swindon Magistrates Court on July 13. In the meantime he was released on conditional bail to work with the probation service on a presentence report.