A Bermudian has been jailed for a year in Britain after he admitted threatening a shop keeper with a knife, an English media outlet has reported.

Anthony Williams Jr, 26, pleaded guilty in Nottingham Crown Court to two counts of possession of a knife and one count of theft, according to Nottinghamshire Live.

The court heard that Williams had several previous convictions for offences including having knives in public.

Nottinghamshire Live reported that Judge James Sampson sentenced Williams to a year behind bars.

“During the hours of darkness you helped yourself to two baskets of goods and then left the shop without paying,” the judge said.

“This was noticed by the shop owner and often they would not follow you fearing the consequences of chasing down someone who acted so brazenly.

“But you were chased and you threatened an innocent man. I have seen photos of the knives and they are nasty weapons and they are quite large.

“Knives kill in this type of situation and that is why we have the sentences we do. You said you had them to protect yourself but this shop worker was no threat to you.”

Rawaid Javed, for the Crown, said that shortly after midnight on October 11 Williams entered the Five Hills Food and Wine Store in Carrington and left with £83 of alcohol and cleaning products.

Mr Javed said: “The shopkeeper chased after the defendant and when he got close the defendant said to him ‘I have got a knife and I will stab you’ so the shopkeeper backed away.”

The prosecutor added that a group of bystanders who saw the altercation chased Williams down and brought him back to the shop, where police were called.

“He was arrested and searched and two knives were found on him, one in a jacket pocket and the other in a sock,” Mr Javed said.

Williams reportedly dismissed his lawyer shortly before his hearing began and, representing himself, urged the court not to imprison him stating that he “wants the help of the probation service”.

Delivering his sentence, Judge Sampson said Williams had “highly relevant” previous convictions which aggravated the situation.

“In mitigation you dispensed of your counsel and chose to represent yourself and in your pre-sentence report there are mental health issues identified and, it appears, substance misuse here,” he said.

“You say you would like to get help and that you would like to return to Bermuda where your family are.”

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