Caffe Nero knifeman with psychotic tendencies arrested with blade outside coffee shop in Leeds city centre after frightened members of public contacted police

Richard Bray told police he believed he was being followed by two men and said anyone who had approached him would have "got it."

Leeds Crown Court heard Bray was out of prison on licence for a similar offence when he sparked the alert on September 7 this year.

Imran Khan, prosecuting, said members of the public called police when they saw him in possession of the weapon outside Caffe Nero, on Merrion Street

Officers arrived and Bray was sitting outside the premises in possession of the blade.

He was asked to drop the weapon and put it down on a glass table.

As he was being taken to a police station Bray said to one of the officers: "I feared for my safety. First one who would have come would have got it."

The officer entered the comment into his notebook and Bray signed it to confirm he had said it.

Bray was interviewed and said he believed he was being followed by two Asian men after he came out of a bank.

He said he went into a pub in the city centre and stole the knife to protect himself.

Bray, 50, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to possession of a knife in a public place.

He has a criminal record dating back to 1999.

He was out of prison on licence after being jailed in February this year for possessing a knife on a train.

"He says he took the knife with a view to protecting himself and he should have had the assistance of the police.

"He puts his behaviour down to the fact that he was scared at the time.

Ms Akhtar added: "He receives anti-psychotic medication which he admits he failed to take at the time of the offence.

"He admits he should have taken them."

Bray was jailed for eight months.

Judge Simon Batiste said: "The danger that you posed because you were carrying a knife and may have had some psychotic elements in your behaviour was very considerable.

"The risk was run that you may have completely misread the situation, leading to catastrophic results.

"That is why people cannot carry knives in the way that you were."