A man has narrowly avoided jail for wielding a knife in an Asda car park.

Damian Wernham, 21, was handed a nine month sentence, suspended for two years, after he pleaded guilty for having a five inch long offensive weapon in a public place.

He was convicted only one day after the event, when appeared before Basingstoke Magistrates.

Recorder of Winchester, judge Keith Cutler, told Wernham he was very concerned about his use of knives.

The court was told how Wernham had an extensive history of offences dating back to 2011, including criminal damage, failure to surrender and carrying a firearm in a public place.

He was jailed for four months on June 5 last year for also being found with a blade on him.

Wernham had been living homeless from the age of 14 until he'd found a place at the Sarum Road hostel, the court was heard. He'd been having problems gaining access to his two young children, an issue which sparked him to regularly cut himself.

Wernham told Mr Cutler how he'd used the knife to cut pizza when he returned to his home with it. He washed it and then put it away safely when the police arrived to arrest him.

Wernham flashed his stomach to show the judge the extent of his self-harm.

He said: "I knew I'd been caught so I owned up straight away. I was a silly boy not thinking. I shouldn't think 'go out and do something like that'. I should change my way of thinking really. I just want to keep myself out of trouble."

The judge responded: "[Wernham's] got this rather unnerving answer about the carrying of a knife as a great comfort to him," the judge said. "It's only a very small step before you hurt someone.

"Why should other people worry about you and have to care after you when you cut yourself and bleed everywhere? It's very frightening and worrying. You wouldn't want your kids to see that.

"I'm very worried about you and knives I really am. Never carry a knife, please, otherwise you're getting a record for it you see. No more offences and no more knives."

The defendant was also ordered to forfeit the knife and ordered to attend rehab for a limited number of sessions.