A man who rushed to help the victims of a multi-vehicle crash has been jailed after police called to the scene discovered he was carrying a knife.

Bradley Packman, of Margate, was found with the blade hidden in his shorts by officers responding to the accident in the early hours of a July morning in Cliftonville.

When police arrived in Ethelbert Road, where a car was on its roof, they believed the 30-year-old had been involved in the crash, then placed him in their vehicle to take him to hospital.

But after removing Packman from the van, police discovered he was concealing a large knife, making it the second time he was caught with a blade in four years.

Packman, of Appledore Close, was charged with and admitted possession of a bladed article in public in September but the hearing was adjourned to allow a pre-sentencing report to be carried out on him.

He returned for sentencing at Margate Magistrates’ Court on October 15, where his lawyer argued he was “very confused” and “forgot” the knife was on him during the incident on July 21.

Elizabeth Evans, prosecuting, said: “It was 1am and there was car crash. Multiple cars were damaged and one of the cars ended up on its roof.

“A male and female got out of the car and Mr Packman was seen by the vehicle. He was put in a cell van (by police) and then got back out of the van. Officers found he had a black folding knife in his shorts.

“He has eight previous convictions and one of those is possession of a bladed article in 2021, it’s a second strike (at having a knife).”

Roger Davies defending told magistrates sentencing guidelines for someone being caught with a knife twice within 10 years warrants a six-month custodial sentence unless it was unjust to jail that person.

He added: “He was inebriated and was not the driver (of the vehicle) he just went to help someone in the car but was in drink at the time.

“He was very confused. He forgot he had the knife on him and even said to the officers, ‘You never found that on me.’ He just didn’t recall.”

Magistrates said they could not find an unjust reason not to jail Packman for the offence and locked him up for 120 days.

They also ordered him to pay a victim surcharge of £154 as well as £85 court costs.”