Judge sentences knife-wielding thug who threatened to stab members of public in Preston city centre
A thug who ran amok in Preston city centre with a kitchen knife has been sent to prison for more than six years.
Jordan Jarvis (pictured) threatened to stab three terrified bystanders, robbed one of them and tried to steal an Uber Eats delivery bike before he was cornered by police.
When he appeared before a judge at the city’s Crown Court the 27-year-old from Penwortham admitted charges of robbery, attempted robbery, theft, making threats with a bladed article and possessing an offensive weapon.
Jailing him for six-and-a-half years Recorder Ben Lawrence told him one of his innocent victims thought he was going to be killed and another – a 17-year-old female student – was now petrified of going out at night.
The court was told the incidents all happened in quick succession around the city’s bus station and Flag Market on the evening of August 25 this year.
Mercedeh Jabbari, prosecuting, said a man waiting at a bus stop saw Jarvis approaching people in the street for money. No-one gave him anything, but when he came up to the man he told him: “I’ve got a knife, I’ll stab you if you don’t give me any money.”
The man gave Jarvis £1, but he was not satisfied with that and so pushed the kitchen knife – described as being around 10 inches long – against the man’s chest.
When another member of the public intervened Jarvis ran off and then approached a young woman who was sitting on a wall near the bus station waiting for a taxi.
Jarvis, brandishing the knife, asked her: “Have you any money in that purse? I’ll stab you right now.” The frightened 17-year-old ran away and started knocking on the doors of the bus station to alert security staff.
Minutes later an Uber Eats delivery rider was collecting food from a takeaway near the Flag Market and parked his bike outside the shop waiting for his order. He looked out and saw his bike was moving and ran out to confront Jarvis.
He asked him for his bike back and told him it was his livelihood. But Jarvis produced the knife and told him to “go away”. The deliveryman continued to plead for the bike back as they walked towards the market. Jarvis responded: “If you don’t walk away I’m going to cut you.”
After that Jarvis made his way towards another group of people just as police arrived. He threw the knife away before he was arrested, but officers retrieved it.
In a victim impact statement read out in court the first man to be threatened said he had suffered sleepless nights since the incident, he was fearful of going out, worried he could be attacked and now felt isolated because he no longer felt relaxed leaving home.
The 17-year-old student said she had previously been a confident young woman but was now “terrified of being surrounded by people". She felt “overpowered by anxiety” and was no longer a sociable person.
Ms Jabbari said Jarvis, of Hawkshead, Penwortham had 27 previous court appearances for 39 offences including assault, possession of a knife and blackmail. He had been on a suspended prison sentence when he committed the latest offences.
Clare Larton, defending, told the judge her client had brandished the knife, but hadn’t used it to injure anyone. His recollection of his offending that night was vague. He had described himself as “upset, sad and sorry” and he recognised the fear he had caused to his victims.
Ms Larton said misuse of alcohol and drugs were at the heart of his behaviour. But he was now clean and sober after having been in custody since his arrest in August.
Recorder Lawrence said the first victim who Jarvis had robbed of £1 and threatened with the knife up against his chest had “thought he was going to die”. It had been a terrifying experience for him and he had even considered leaving Preston in the aftermath.
He said probation staff had felt Jarvis showed no real insight into the effects his actions had had on all three victims. They also felt he was a “high risk” of causing harm despite not having used the knife on any of those he targeted.
The judge declined to make Jarvis the subject of a restraining order saying it was unnecessary because he had been approaching people in the street who he did not know.