A hospital patient who was found to be armed with a knife has walked free from court despite having more than 300 previous convictions.
A nurse was helping Craig Nicholson put his jacket on as he prepared to leave the RVI, in Newcastle, when she noticed he had a plastic bag in his sleeve. When she looked inside there was a ten inch knife with a six inch blade. The nurse called security and Nicholson was arrested.
Newcastle Crown Court heard he already had 321 previous convictions on a vast criminal record that stretches to 56 pages on the police national computer, including six for knife-related offences. But now he has been given a final chance to prove he can stay out of trouble.