A Devonshire man who threatened people with a box cutter was sentenced to three years in jail in Magistrates' Court yesterday.

Andre James, 27, of OceanSpray Close admitted having an offensive weapon outside Docksiders Pub Monday night.

He also admitted telling Police: "I am not the guy. I will cut you."

James admitted a further two counts of using offensive words and to possessing the blue-handled bladed box cutter inside Arnold's Market on St. John's Road in Pembroke that same day. In Magistrates' Court yesterday James said: "I was wrong and I apologise and it won't happen again."

The court heard that around 8.30 p.m. on Monday, Arnold's store manager Jeffrey Gasaway, approached James who he suspected of shoplifting and asked him to leave the store.

Mr. Gasaway threatened to call the Police, but James reached into his front right pocket with his right hand, pointed the box cutter towards Mr. Gasaway and another store manager and said: "I will kill both of you."

As the managers backed away from him James yelled: "I'm going to kill you. I'm going to come back with a gun and f***ing kill you."

James, who appeared heavily intoxicated, then left the store.

At 10.30 p.m. that evening James was spotted stealing a helmet on Docksiders' surveillance tape by the pub's manager, Kia Wolffe. He called Police and then approached James, who was armed with the box cutter. Mr. Wolffe quickly realised he wouldn't be able to control him.

When the officers arrived, they had to use captor spray to restrain James.

He briefly put his head on the bar counter but then fought through the effects and came after the officer who had to spray him again.

James was eventually arrested and handcuffed. Officers searched him and found the box cutter and five replacement blades in his front right pocket.

Yesterday, James told Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner he was a landscaper and used the box cutter to open cardboard boxes at work. However he later revealed to the court he carried it in self-defence. "If you really want to hear the reason why I had the box cutter I had it for self-defence because people come up to me," he stated.

Said Mr. Warner: "Be that as it may it is not an excuse. Rather than use the bladed article for self-defence you did use it in a threatening way."

He ordered James to serve three years in prison for two counts of possessing an offensive weapon, and six months for each count of using offensive words, all to run concurrently, meaning at the same time.