A DOUBLE GLAZING salesman who once threatened to slit a girl s throat was jailed for carrying a samurai sword. Luke Blackwell, 18, tossed the ornamental 10-in blade into a garden when police community support officers (PCSOs) approached him in Dagenham.

A DOUBLE GLAZING salesman who once threatened to slit a girl's throat was jailed for carrying a samurai sword.

Luke Blackwell, 18, tossed the ornamental 10-in blade into a garden when police community support officers (PCSOs) approached him in Dagenham.

The pint-sized teenager fled but later told police the sword was a decorative item he planned to hang on his bedroom wall.

Recorder Peter Harrison QC sentenced Blackwell to 16-weeks in a young offenders' institution. He also has a conviction for assaulting a 15-year-old girl in 2007.

The judge said: "In my opinion your offence is so serious that neither a fine alone nor a community penalty can be justified."

PCSOs spotted Blackwell with a group of youngsters in Rugby Road about 6.20pm on June 16 last year, prosecutor Janette Thomas had told Snaresbrook Crown Court.

"It was noticed that the defendant dropped an object over a fence into a garden," said the barrister.

"On inspection, the object that was thrown was a bag that contained a small Samurai sword with a 10-in blade."

Blackwell was later arrested and claimed the sword was a decorative showpiece.

"He said he bought it from one of his mates for �20," said the prosecutor.

"The defendant said that he had it wrapped up in a Tesco bag and he intended to put it up on a wall as an ornament.

"It was very, very decorative and ornamental in nature."

Turning to his conviction for assaulting a 15-year-old girl in April 2007, Miss Thomas said: "The girl was trying to defend her friend.

"She was actually pushed on to a window by the defendant."

Blackwell screamed at the terrified girl: "I'm going to slit your throat."

The thug was also convicted of carrying a Stanley knife blade in November of that year, the court heard.

Mustapha Hakme, defending, said: "As far as the item itself was concerned it was ornamental, which is something the officers noticed.

"The blade was not sharp and less than average length.

"It was not being carried in dangerous circumstances and it was not used in any way."

The barrister said Blackwell's mum and step-father were in the public gallery to support their son.

Blackwell, of Hedgemans Road, Dagenham, admitted having an article with a blade or point.