A KNIFE-WIELDING mugger has been jailed 'to warn others who are tempted to carry knives'.
Lee Scott Perry, 20, of no settled address, was given five years in a young offenders institute for rob-bing two women in Roker Park, Northwich.
Sentencing him, Recorder of Chester Elgan Edwards said: 'Knife crime is a worrying trend in society and courts must and will respond to public concern.'
The court heard Perry was addicted to cocaine when he committed the two muggings on February 2 and 4.
Peter Hussey, prosecuting, said: 'He committed knife-point robberies in broad daylight in Roker Park.
"The first was of a 24-year-old Korean lady. He produced a knife about three inches long and said 'give me the purse' repeatedly.
'He then said 'sorry' to her and ran off.
'She said that never in her own country had she experienced this. The second victim had been to visit the nearby cemetery.
'Holding a knife, he calmly repeated his demand and said he would not hurt her.'
Perry tried to hide the knife on the parcel shelf of the police car after he was arrested at the railway station, but DNA linked him to it.
He claimed it was drugs that made him do it and wanted to get his life back on track. His mother also wrote a letter to tell the judge about living with a son addicted to cocaine.
Gordon Hennel, defending, said: 'There are worse kinds of knives. He had not eaten for four days and was desperate. Although his demeanour was frightening, he says 'give me the purse' and then says 'sorry'. He had no intention of using the knife. It was there to frighten.
'Although he left school without qualifications he is not afraid of hard work. He was a head chef at 19 and worked a 60-hour week.'
But Judge Edwards said: 'You bought this knife specifically to rob. I appreciate that you were a drug addict and that you were hungry but that is no excuse.
'Custody is necessary to teach you that, and to warn others who are tempted to carry knives. It cannot be tolerated and the message should go out that people who do that will receive hard treatment.'
