Sunderland man imprisoned for unlawfully carrying a knife in the city centre

A man who avoided an instant jail term for unlawfully carrying a knife is now in jail after committing a similar offence within months.
By Gavin Ledwith
Published 30th Jan 2021, 07:00 BST
Updated 30th Jan 2021, 09:14 BST
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Ryan William Neil, 38, of Willmore Street, off Hylton Road, Sunderland, initially received a 26-week suspended jail term after he was convicted of illegally possessing a lock knife in the city’s Bridges shopping centre on January 13 last year.

Magistrates have now triggered part of this sentence after he admitted unlawfully carrying a kitchen knife in nearby Park Lane on May 23 last year.

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South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court jailed him for 18 weeks for the first offence and added another 26 weeks for the second.

Ryan William Neil has been jailed after he admitted unlawfully carrying a kitchen knife Park Lane, Sunderland.Ryan William Neil has been jailed after he admitted unlawfully carrying a kitchen knife Park Lane, Sunderland.
Ryan William Neil has been jailed after he admitted unlawfully carrying a kitchen knife Park Lane, Sunderland.

They judged the latest incident to be “so serious” because vulnerable people would have been nearby and because it was his “second knife offence within a short period”.

Neil, who also admitted breaching the terms of his original sentence by failing to attend appointments, was also ordered to pay a £128 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

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