Man, 25, who wanted 'revenge' jailed for having knife

A 25-year-old man has been jailed for 18 months in Jersey after pleading guilty to possessing a knife that prosecutors claimed he had been planning to use to assault someone.

Benjamin William Paton pleaded guilty to one count of possession of an offensive weapon earlier this year. 

Setting out the case, Crown Advocate Lauren Hallam described how Paton had only left prison 10 weeks before the incident in June this year.

He had taken a 24cm knife from his home and walked towards the house of his intended victim. 

In text messages he exchanged with his girlfriend, he described how he had a knife and was going to "get" the man "for what he did to me". 

He added in a later exchange the man "needs to be punished."  His girlfriend called the police who began searching for Paton. 

Aware that police were looking for him, he contacted them saying that he had left the knife in a spot for them.

Police then seized the knife before arresting Paton in the early hours on 16 June near the Bel Royal cycle track. 

In interviews with police, he claimed he was only going to use the knife to attack the car of his intended victim.

Paton has a history of convictions both in Jersey and Guernsey.

Defence Advocate Heidi Heath pointed to this by saying he was in a "cycle of a similar type of defending", adding it was one that "needs to be broken."

 She said he is "young enough to turn his life around" and that he considers himself to be "institutionalised."

Sentencing him to 18 months, Deputy Bailiff Robert MacRae KC said that Paton was at high risk of re-conviction and said that only a custodial sentence was justified in a case "so serious".

He told Paton that while in custody, he hopes he accesses and is provided with the therapeutic support he needs.

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