A MAN discovered to have a Samurai sword in his bag claimed it was an ornament he was going to exchange for drugs, a court heard.

David Pratt had fled a taxi leaving the two-foot blade behind in the bag.

He had also been found with a felt cutting knife by police a few months earlier.

Southampton Crown Court was told how a taxi driver picked up Pratt at Eastleigh rail station who asked to be driven to Earls Road, Southampton, on December 14 last year.

But on the way the taxi driver suspected his passenger would not pay so, when he pulled over in Earls Road, he got hold of Pratt’s bag.

Richard Onslow, prosecuting, told how when Pratt demanded he release it, the taxi driver said only if he would pay the £16 fare.

They agreed to drive to the police station, but as they were set off Pratt opened the taxi door, damaging another vehicle, and left, the court was told.

The driver found the sword which he took to the police.

This offence put Pratt in breach of a suspended sentence he was given in November for a number of offences including theft of a handbag from a locker at Fleming Park Leisure Centre, in Eastleigh.

The 32-year-old was also sentenced after police found on him a felt-cutter knife after being searched in Eastleigh’s market square when they were alerted to a report of suspicious behaviour in a multi-storey car park on October 6 last year.

He claimed he had it for work as a roofer the next day, but enquiries with his employer revealed that he had not worked for him for five months.

Pratt, of Unity Court, Southampton Road, Eastleigh, admitted two counts of possessing a bladed or sharply-pointed article in a public place.

The court was told how Pratt had numerous past offences, including 85 for burglary or similar and six weapons-related.

David Jenkins, defending, said neither blade had been used to threaten anyone.

He said Pratt had the sword because it was an ornament that on getting to Southampton he intended to hand over in return for drugs.

Mr Jenkins said Pratt had been using the felt cutting knife for work at his mother’s house and had not intended to use it as a weapon.

He told how Pratt had kept out of trouble for a year and managed to get a job as a roofer, but had started taking drugs again by May last year, with a heroin habit costing up to £30 a day.

However, he said since being in prison he was now drug-free and was hoping to lead a “hardworking and proper life”.

Recorder Howard Palmer activated the suspended sentence and imposed an 11-month jail term.