A criminal who first took drugs aged 10 has been locked up – despite appealing to a judge for help with his addiction.

Nicholas Ronald Graham, 35, found himself in the dock at Carlisle Crown Court for carrying a blade which was tucked away inside a pocket diary.

Graham claimed the small Stanley knife attachment was for cutting drugs which he was on his way to buy when stopped by police last month.

But the judge heard that the bladed article possession offence, which he went on to admit, was his fifth such crime since 1997.

That made him liable to a minimum six-month prison term when he appeared at the court for sentence.

Judge Tony Lancaster was asked by Graham’s lawyer to consider an alternative punishment incorporating a drug treatment requirement.

From the dock, Graham, of Orchard Street, off London Road in Carlisle, said to the judge: “I need help. I just want help, that’s all.”

But Judge Lancaster concluded that the latest offence – and the context of it – meant the only option was to impose a six-month jail sentence.

Jeremy Grout-Smith, prosecuting, said police were dealing with another man shortly after midnight on April 13 at Milbourne Street, when they saw Graham approach.

Officers were suspicious but before they could stop Graham he ran off.

“They gave chase and he was apprehended a short distance away,” said Mr Grout-Smith.

Graham gave up the blade he was carrying in the diary. But he made no comment in an interview.

“It was his fifth such offence, the other four having been committed between 1997 and 2011,” said Mr Grout-Smith.

Darren Halsted, defending, said Graham had initially been arrested on suspicion of selling drugs.

But in fact, the sole reason he was in that area was to buy some, the lawyer stressed.

The blade would have been used to cut that substance.

Having first taken drugs at the age of 10, Graham took heroin for years before moving on to crack cocaine.

“He is not just afflicted by drug usage. He is also affected by mental health difficulties,” said Mr Halsted.

Graham had been progressing well having sought help for his substance misuse. However, he had then lapsed back into drugs.