Matthew Fearn, 35, of Tiverton Close, Wallsend, used a pair of scissors to stab a man during an early morning street robbery and thanked the judge for being "extremely fair" as he was jailed for 45 months at Newcastle Crown Court.
On March 8 this year, the victim had been to a friend's home to watch the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which finished in the early hours. Around 6am, he began to cycle home and stopped briefly outside the Duke of York pub to use his phone. Fearn came up behind him, wrapped his arm around his neck and held scissors to his throat, saying "Give me your bike or you're going to get stabbed".
Attack and arrest
The two men then fought and Fearn ended up making off on the victim's bike. The victim had been stabbed to the left side of his abdomen with the scissors and had a small puncture wound. He got his dad to pick him up and take him home.
Fearn was recognised by police from footage and he left his cap at the scene, which was forensically attributed to him. He has 21 previous convictions and pleaded guilty to robbery and possessing a bladed article.
Court proceedings
Recorder James Hay said: "(The victim), for whatever reason, stopped outside the Duke of York pub and while he was there you approached him - you say to buy drugs from him - from behind, wrapped your arms around his neck, held scissors to his throat and said words to the effect of 'give us your bike or you are getting stabbed'."
After being sentenced, Fearn thanked the judge and said he had been "extremely fair", adding that he deserved the punishment and it wouldn't happen again.
Defence statement
Shaun Routledge, defending, said he was "not going to labour the point about a drug deal gone wrong" and added: "There was a meeting of minds, we know what happened, it amounted to robbery."
Routledge said: "The defendant found himself looking for drugs at that time in the early morning. He is an intelligent individual who, in bouts of depression, finds himself doing stupid things like this." He said the victim had retracted his statement as he wanted to move on. He added that Fearn is capable of hard work and is a time-served joiner.
