A HOMELESS drunk who threatened young girls while carrying a knife told police he only had the blade ‘for protection’ and that ‘all the kids in Didcot’ were out to get him.

Jason Tampin, of no fixed abode, had already admitted two counts of breaching a criminal behaviour order and one of possessing a bladed article.

Oxford Crown Court heard at his sentencing hearing yesterday how the 37-year old was in the Broadway area of Didcot on the afternoon of December 13 when the two public order incidents took place.

In the first incident he was stood outside a Co-Op drunk and said to a group of 13-year old girls ‘carry on or I am going to blade you’, staring at one of the group.

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Later, Tampin was at a skate park in Ladygrove when he threatened another young girl and began ‘shouting and swearing’.

Both offences put him in breach of an existing criminal behaviour order put in place to stop further acts of disorder.

When he was arrested for the public order incidents he was also found to have a knife measuring 8.6cm in length as well as a quantity of cannabis.

He claimed the blade was ‘for protection’ and explaining his actions he said: “All the kids in Didcot are trying to set me up.”

Tampin then said he couldn’t remember the second incident at the skate park.

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In mitigation yesterday his defence barrister said that Tampin was homeless and wanted to seek employment in future.

The court heard that his alcoholism was one cause of his offending.

Sentencing Judge Nigel Daly ordered that carrying a knife as well as the breaches of the existing orders had to be marked with an immediate jail term.

Tampin was jailed for a total of 15 months and must pay a statutory victim surcharge.