A MAN who forgot he had a knife in his possession when he went into a Skipton pub has been given a suspended prison sentence by magistrates.

Nathaniel Blackburn, 25, from Hellifield, had in March been helping a friend move house, had used a knife to open a box and had put the bladed article into a pocket before heading off to the pub, Skipton Magistrates Court heard today (Friday).

He was then seen in The Woolly Sheep with the knife in his waistband by a woman who had reported it to the pub staff who informed the police.

Officers located Blackburn in the nearby Yorkshire Trading Company, the court was told. He no longer had the knife, but had been seen by someone discard it in a ginnel near The Woolly Sheep.

Blackburn, who the court was told had been alcohol dependent at the time, in December last year, had used a stolen bank card to pay for taxis, a hotel room in Leeds and to buy food.

On December 3, he had taken a handbag from a woman who was enjoying a night out in Skipton's Flutez and Fizz in Keighley Road, had taken it into the toilets and removed a bank card.

He had spent £172 before any more payments were declined, the court heard.

The court was told Blackburn had been given a community sentence in May this year including for driving whilst disqualified and for being over the alcohol limit. The 18 month order required him to carry out 140 hours of unpaid work and to abstain from alcohol for 100 days.

Blackburn, of West End Drive, Hellifield, admitted the possession of a knife without good reason or lawful authority in a public place on March 2 this year.

He further admitted fraud by false representation, the use of the bank card, and theft of a handbag on December 3 last year.

The court heard in mitigation that Blackburn had been in a bad place at the time but had since made efforts to turn his life around.

His solicitor said that he had forgotten the knife was in his possession and had left the pub and had got rid of it as soon as he had realised.

He had no intention of using it and had not realised anyone had seen it.

He also accepted he had made a mistake taking the woman's bank cards and had wanted to apologise to her.

He had removed himself from bad influences, had moved into his own accommodation and was in a relationship.

He was also getting work experience working as a window cleaner and was receiving help for his alcohol dependency from North Yorkshire Horizons.

The court was also by probation officer Andrew Watson that Blackburn had been working well on his current community order.

Blackburn was given a six month suspended prison sentence for the possession of the knife.

He was also re-sentenced for his earlier offences with a two month suspended prison sentence, to run at the same time.

He was also made subject of an 18 month community order with 240 hours unpaid work and 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He will also be fitted with alcohol abstinence monitoring equipment for 100 days. He will also have to pay costs of £85 and a surcharge of £154; there was no order for compensation.