A thug has been jailed after he pulled out a knife and threatened an RAC mechanic as he helped a driver whose car was stranded on a beach.

Drunk Charlie Dash ranted at the breakdown man as he approached to find out what he was saying: “Come any closer and I will stab you.”

Maidstone Crown Court heard the 22-year-old had earlier been distraught and suicidal, threatening to throw himself under a train.

A friend of his mother’s tried to help him, giving him food and telling him to get some sleep. But in the early hours of November 2 2017, she discovered he had driven off in her Peugeot car

Prosecutor Bridget Todd said Dash drove to The Leas in Minster where a woman’s Vauxhall Corsa was stuck in the sand.

Dash asked to borrow her phone, despite having his own, to call his father to tow the car back onto the road. He then drove off taking the phone with him.

The woman’s friend called the RAC and while the recovery driver was assisting Dash returned in the car and started shouting aggressively.

Dash made the threat as the RAC man walked towards him. When he started to walk back to the stranded car, Dash shouted: “Come back here, I am going to stab you.”

Dash returned to the Peugeot and drove off. Police officers saw the car travelling at speed in Thistle Hill Way. He stopped near to where he had taken the car and was then arrested.

Miss Todd said a lock knife was seized from Dash. The stolen phone was recovered. He was almost twice the legal alcohol limit for driving.

Dash, of Daffodil Avenue, Minster, admitted aggravated vehicle taking, threatening with a blade, driving with excess alcohol, driving without a licence and insurance and theft.

He was banned from driving for 18 months and will have to take an extended test before being allowed back on the road.

Describing the behaviour as “extraordinary”, Jason Dunn-Shaw, defending, said the knife threat victim was performing a public service at had not threatened Dash in any way.

Judge Philip Statman said: “In the current climate, if you show out a knife in a public place it is very grave.

You are one step away from facing a very different type of charge.”

Under recent legislation, Dash faced a minimum six months imprisonment for the knife offence, but Mr Dunn-Shaw submitted the sentence could be suspended.

“This is a young man who has a history of mental health problems,” he said. “He is inclined towards suicide and there is concern about the prison environment.

“He has weaned himself off drugs and alcohol. It would put him in an environment where drugs are often pressed on people.”

Jailing Dash for 12 months, Judge Statman said it was an understatement by the RAC mechanic when he told the police: “It is not a nice experience having a knife pulled on you when are just trying to do your job.”

Dash suffered from depression but had also used Class A drugs and alcohol, causing a danger to not only himself, but others around him.

“I am sure this case calls for an immediate custodial sentence,” said the judge. “The only issue is how it can be kept as short as possible and tempered, bearing in mind all I have heard about you.

“There is understandably grave concern where offences are committed which involve threats and a knife being shown out.”