A MAN has been jailed after being caught with a knife in public in Brierley Hill.

Ayrton Gomez, aged 26, of Foundry Road, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to possessing a kitchen knife, without lawful authority, in a public place on Level Street in Brierley Hill.

He was jailed for 20 weeks due to seriousness of the offence and to protect the public. Dudley Magistrates Court also ordered Gomez to pay £400 in costs and a £122 surcharge.

The following cases were also heard at Dudley Magistrates Court last week.

James Jelf, aged 29 of Brennan Road, Oldbury, pleaded guilty to harassing Suzanne Thornton. He admitted contacting her in excess of 350 times, watching her movements, threatened to stab new partners and to brick her house. He received a 23-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months due to the distress caused to the victim. Jelf was given a restraining order and was also ordered to complete a rehabilitation requirement. The court also ordered Jelf to pay £100 in compensation.

Alfie Bonham, aged 20, of De La Drive, Banbury admitted possessing cannabis in Dudley and driving a Fiat Punto on Malthouse Drive in Dudley without insurance. He also admitted driving without insurance. Bonham was fined £200 and also ordered to pay a £32 surcharge and £185 in costs.

Cain Lees, aged 18, of Barker Street, Smethwick, pleaded guilty to possessing an 18cm kitchen knife in a public place in Oldbury. He received a community order with a rehabilitation requirement and was ordered to pay a fine and surcharge totalling £140.

Brett Portman, aged 27, of Warren Road, Quarry Bank, pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis in Brierley Hill. The drugs were destroyed and Portman was ordered to pay a £230 fine, a £32 surcharge and £185 in costs.

Rachel Hardwick, aged 43, of Beecher Road East, Halesowen, admitted to drink driving on the A4036 at Merry Hill. She was disqualified from holding a driving licence for 12 months and was ordered to pay a fine, surcharge and costs totalling £285.

Tarsam Lal, aged 68, of South View Road, Sedgley, pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen of breath when requested by police. He received a 18 week sentence suspended for two years due it being his fourth drink driving offence in ten years. Suspending the sentence, magistrates said there was a real prospect for rehabilitation. He was disqualified from holding a driving licence for five years and was ordered to pay a £122 surcharge and £135 in costs.

Daniel O'Brien, aged 29, of Trefoil Gardens, Stourbridge, pleaded guilty to driving over the legal alcohol limit with 73 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. He was disqualified from holding a driving licence for 17 months and was ordered to pay a fine, surcharge and costs totalling £740.

Josephine Shaw, aged 60, of Victoria Road, Quarry Bank, admitted failing to provide a breathalyser sample when requested by police. She received a community order and must follow a curfew for eight weeks. She was also disqualified from driving for 28 months and was ordered to pay £440 in a surcharge and costs.