Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner granted a conditional discharge to an alcoholic man for having a knife, assaulting a Police officer and violently resisting arrest.

David Leonard Cox, 45, of Glebe Road, Pembroke, will now have to stay out of trouble for the next year or be "dealt with'' for the three offences which occurred on January 3.

Mr. Warner heard Police attended Front Street near Number One Shed around 2.30 p.m. that day and saw Cox stabbing a knife into a bucket.

Crown counsel Graveney Bannister said they approached Cox and he folded the knife up and put it in his pocket.

Once Police began talking to Cox, they noted that he appeared to be intoxicated. He became "aggravated and hostile'' and yelled abuse and profanity at them.

Cox was warned about his behaviour as an officer saw the knife in his pocket and then seized it.

Mr. Bannister said Cox shouted "Hey, that's mine! Give it back'' and tried to take it away from the Policeman.

He shoved the officer in the chest with both hands and had to be restrained.

Once he was handcuffed, Cox became totally uncooperative and had to be carried into the Police car.

While under questioning, he told Police he had the knife to "cut any of you f***ers that mess with me'' but recanted when asked if he was serious, saying: "No, No, No! But I do have it for my protection.'' Currently in prison on unrelated charges, Cox was given the conditional discharge.

Mr. Warner also activated a default sentence of 120 days for Cox because he has failed to pay a $1,000 fine for threatening behaviour.