A NEWTON Abbot van driver who was caught carrying a miniature dagger has been jailed after he swore at probation officers who were trying to help him.

Adam Pearson received a suspended sentence in June when he admitted having the weapon but it has now been activated because of his abusive behaviour.

He rang up the probation service after missing an appointment and subjected the call handler to a barrage of four-lettered ranting.

He was already in breach of his order by failing to keep in touch or missing phone appointments, Exeter Crown Court was told.

At the previous hearing, Pearson, aged 33, of Clifford Drive, Heathfield, Newton Abbot, admitted possession of a bladed article and was jailed for six months, suspended for a year, ordered to do 50 hours of unpaid community work, and pay £600 costs by Judge Peter Johnson.

He appeared before the same judge where he admitted breaching the suspended sentence. The judge activated five of the six months.

He told him: ‘I gave you a chance with a suspended sentence. For some reason, having missed an appointment, you phoned the probation service and spoke to a member of staff on reception.

‘You appear to have ranted at her, not only using insulting language but threatening her. That in itself could have been an offence.’

Miss Emily Pitts, prosecuting, said Pearson was asked to call probation to explain a missed appointment but was aggressive, abusive, and threatening in his call on October16.

He has only done four hours of unpaid work, but the scheme was suspended because of Covid for much of the time. The probation service has decided the order is unworkable and he should be resentenced.

Mr William Parkhill, defending, said Pearson is now apologetic and blamed his outburst on a head injury which has left him with symptoms of epilepsy.

He runs his own paving business and has children who will be affected if he is sent to jail.

In the original case in June, the same judge heard how Pearson armed himself with a small dagger because he thought he was under threat as a result of the break-up of a relationship.

Adam Pearson was wearing the weapon around his neck when police stopped his works van on the A38 near Newton Abbot in February 2019. It was designed to be held in the palm of the fingers so its blade stuck out between the knuckles of a clenched fist.

Police later found a machete and a crossbow at his home in Heathfield which he claimed he had for self-defence and had used to drive off three men who had confronted him there a few days earlier.