A SALESMAN has been jailed after threatening a stranger with a knife in the town centre after rowing with a busker.

McCawley Robinson, from Whitecross, pulled a knife on the man on Sankey Street after downing a bottle of vodka – which he then used to threaten another passer-by.

On Tuesday, November 6, the 21-year-old was jailed for 10 months at Liverpool Crown Court.

The court heard that Robinson, of Norley Close, approached a busker playing on Sankey Street at around 10pm on Friday, August 31.

Described as being ‘agitated, rambling and under the influence of alcohol’, he asked the busker how much money he made in an evening.

After a stranger told Robinson he should give the busker some money, the defendant told the latter: “I’ve got five lads down the street – if I click my fingers they’ll be down here and they will trash all your stuff.”

When the man who had made the comment began walking away, Robinson – a sales agent at Wilderspool Causeway-based Claims Helpdesk – brandished a six-inch knife and squared up with him.

He was then seen on CCTV threatening another male with a bottle of vodka, which he was holding above his head.

The busker had ran to a nearby bar for assistance in the intervening period and returned with three bouncers, at which point Robinson then held the bottle to his own neck.

Police officers attended the scene and he was arrested.

Robinson – who had six previous convictions for offences including assault, criminal damage, obstructing a police officer, drink driving and breaching a community order – admitted threatening behaviour and possession of a knife in a public place during an earlier court hearing.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that he had found the knife and intended to self-harm with it, and was ‘out of it’ at the time of the incident due to alcohol.

Described as being ‘incredibly remorseful’ and ‘a man who has problems with alcohol’, Robinson has not drank since his arrest.

Judge Robert Warnock jailed him and ordered him to pay a victim surcharge.

Sentencing, judge Warnock said: “Everybody knows what’s happening in this country and this part of the world in regards to knife crime at the moment.

“If this is to be stopped, only custodial sentence are appropriate in cases like yours.

“I’m in no doubt that you are an entirely different person when you are sober, but I have no confidence whatsoever that anything other than a custodial sentence would be appropriate to deal with this matter.”

Forfeiture and destruction of the knife was also ordered.