A MAN who has a “predisposition for using weapons” has been jailed for 14 months for having a machete in Salisbury city centre.

On June 20, last year, Jitesh Patel was caught on CCTV with the blade during an incident outside John Baker House, in Rollestone Street.

The 38-year-old was driving his blue BMW when he pulled over and his friend got out of the car to attack a woman.

Seconds later Patel was seen stepping out of the vehicle and being passed a machete, which he held at his side.

Patel appeared at Winchester Crown Court on Thursday after he admitted to possessing a sharp pointed article in a public place.

Prosecutor Alex Daymond said: “She (the victim) felt that the presence of the weapon prevented anyone from stopping the attack that was taking place.”

Patel, of St Pauls Road, Salisbury, was arrested, but Mr Daymond said: “He denied having the machete and claimed it was another object that was in his hand”.

The court was told that Patel has 12 convictions for 31 offences, these include assault, possession of an offensive weapon and wounding.

“He is someone who is persistent in having an offensive weapon or a bladed article,” Mr Daymond said.

In mitigation, Andrew Stone said that he has taken steps to reform his character following his previous offending.

Mr Stone continued: “Mr Patel tells me that he is now incredibly ashamed that he allowed himself to fall back into bad behaviour on this occasion.

“Mr Patel had no idea there was going to be violence.

“The machete was bought out specifically because he did know these people…he knew them to be violent, he knew them to be tooled up.”

He added: “He didn’t wave the machete. He kept it by his side in the 14 seconds [it was out].”

Mr Stone said that Patel had the machete because he was using it to do gardening at a property his family rents out.

His Honour Judge Robert Pawson replied: “Unless it was a property based in the Amazon Rainforest there was no need for a machete.”

In sentencing, the judge said: “You did not want anyone outside the group seeing what you were up to, but you were making sure that no-one got involved in the assault on that woman in public – it is appalling.”

He continued: “You have a predisposition for using weapons. You were using a weapon to facilitate the attack.”

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