A man caught trying to take knives into a court building has been jailed.

Christopher Richard Hallsall, of Maryport, was found carrying a box of throwing knives he bought as a gift in Blackpool on the day he was due to appear in Carlisle Crown Court.

He returned to the building where he was sentenced for both crimes.

Hallsall was told he “posed a threat to public safety” by presiding Judge Tony Lancaster before he was led away to serve his eight-month term.

On October 19 last year, Hallsall, 34, of Curzon Street, Maryport, went to Workington’s branch of Debenhams where he stole £21-worth of Jean Paul Gaultier deodorant. This crime was caught on CCTV and Hallsall was subsequently arrested for it.

He denied it at an appearance in front of magistrates and elected to take the matter to trial at crown court.

On February 29 he went to the crown court in relation to this crime and was searched by security guards at the entrance.

“Under some clothing he had in a plastic bag they found a cardboard box. It wasn’t gift-wrapped in the sense of pretty paper and ribbons and within there were throwing knives.”

Mr Evans added that there were three knives in the box.

Hallsall appeared in court having pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. He had also changed his plea to the shoplifting charge to guilty.

Brendan Burke, defending, told the court that Hallsall had bought the knives on a trip to Blackpool as a gift and had travelled to the court straight from the seaside resort. He added that there was no intention to use the knives as weapons.

Mr Burke also said bringing the knives to court was an act of “negligent thoughtlessness”.

“Certainly there is no ill intent,” he said.

Judge Lancaster said: “In terms of gravity that (shoplifting) is at the bottom of the scale. Not so in relation to the knife offence. The bringing of knives into a crown court building is a dangerous activity. It represents a significant risk of harm to members of the public and court officers.”

Hallsall was sentenced to eight months in custody for the knife crime and one month for the shoplifting offence, to be served concurrently. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £140.