Whitby man escapes prison after holding out Stanley knife at town's CeX shop

Tristan Cross, 49, went into the CeX computer store in Baxtergate where he suddenly whipped out a Stanley knife while looking at headphones, York Crown Court heard.

The startled shop manager saw Cross “rubbing his fingers across the blade” in front of other staff and with customers inside the store.

“The defendant appeared to be sinister in his manner…with the knife held out in front of him,” said prosecutor Rob Galley.

A co-manager and another staff member were stood behind the counter, “trying to defuse the situation”, as Cross approached them with the knife.

At one point he reached across the counter, with the knife in his hand, through a gap in the plastic screens.

Mr Galley said it wasn’t “a lunge”, but Cross held the knife in front of him as he leant forward, causing the staff members to step back.

Cross, of Bagdale, Whitby, then walked back to the shelves before leaving the store, added Mr Galley.

He said the incident stemmed from a previous visit to the store when Cross was involved in some sort of dispute with staff because he didn’t like the price of the headphones he was interested in buying.

Meanwhile, in another part of town on the same day, two women - one of whom had just finished work - were walking along Skinner Street when they spotted a man holding a knife in broad daylight.

“They realised the man had a Stanley knife in his hand, (which was) brandished but not towards them,” added Mr Galley.

The two friends were “nervous and scared” as Cross walked past them and told them he was “allowed to have the knife”.

The “terrified” women saw him go into Boots the chemist with the knife, but then didn’t see him again.

One of the women said she was “petrified” and was “worried for the safety of me and my friend and members of the public”.

Cross was arrested some “considerable” time later and told police he had forgotten he had a knife.

He claimed he had been using the knife for an art workshop as part of a therapy session and didn’t think the blade was long enough to be illegal.

However, he admitted two counts of carrying a blade in public and appeared for sentence on Monday February 7.

Both incidents occurred on October 2 last year.

Andrew Petterson, for Cross, said his client was autistic and had other mental-health problems.

He had spent time in mental-health hospitals and been receiving treatment for the past 20 years.

He said the offences were down to Cross’s “alcohol consumption”.

He had since been re-engaging with his mental-health team, taking his medication regularly and had reduced his alcohol intake.

Judge Deborah Sherwin said the victims must have been “pretty terrified” and that she “wasn’t impressed” by Cross’s explanations as to why he had the knife.

However, she said she had to take account of his autism and that he was suffering from mental health difficulties at the time for which he was now getting help.

The four-month prison term was suspended for two years.

Cross was also ordered to complete a 10-day rehabilitation programme and pay a £128 surcharge to fund victim services.