A STOWMARKET man who went out armed with a knife and a toothbrush embedded with razor blades to act as a “deterrent” if he was attacked has been jailed for 18 months.

Marcus Mayhew, 23, was arrested by police after he was seen waving two blades at a 15-year-old youth and his 17-year-old friend near Stowmarket railway station and then threatened the mother of one of the youths when she told him to leave her son alone, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

Mayhew had also caused �300 damage to a car by stabbing one of the blades he was carrying into a rear windscreen and �50 damage to another vehicle by punching off the wing mirror, said Michael Crimp, prosecuting.

Mayhew, of Gainsborough Road, Stowmarket, admitted having an offensive weapon – a toothbrush embedded with razor blades – having a kitchen knife and damaging two cars.

Jailing him for 18 months, Judge David Goodin described the toothbrush embedded with razor blades as an “ugly implement” and said it was capable of causing “savage lacerations” to anyone who came into contact with it.

Representing Mayhew, Claire Furlong said that her client had been subjected to attacks and harassment by a group of people and he had armed himself as a deterrent in case he found himself under attack again.