He claimed it was to cut wood shavings so he could start a fire to cook food
A homeless ex-Royal Navy serviceman was found with a potentially lethal knife in his pocket, minutes after he asked ambulance staff to check him over after he suffered chest problems. He had a history of knife offences but he claimed that he had it with him purely to help him cut wood shavings so he could start a fire to cook food, Hull Crown Court heard.
Kevin Dove, 62, of no fixed address, but recently in custody on remand, admitted possessing a knife in Trinity House Lane, Hull, on September 28. A charge of affray was dropped.
Billy Torbett, prosecuting, said that police went to Trinity House Lane after a report from a member of the public that a man had been stabbed by his ex-partner at his tent on Victoria Dock. An ambulance was on the scene and a man was inside.
Dove was nearby as the two men had both been living in tents close to each other. The other man inside the ambulance refused medical treatment and got out.
Dove complained of chest pains and asked paramedics to check him over. “He went inside the ambulance to be assessed,” said Mr Torbett.
The other man said that Dove had a knife in his pocket. Police approached the ambulance and searched Dove to find the knife. Dove started to reach into his pockets and a police constable grabbed hold of his hands to prevent him from grabbing a knife.
The officer found a brown-handled knife in Dove’s jeans pocket. He was arrested and taken to hospital because of his chest pains before being transported to custody.
Dove later said: “I am currently homeless and reside in a tent. I have all my personal possessions in the tent, including knives to prepare food on my cooker and a knife to use for wood shavings to start a fire.
“These are all essential items to enable me to live in the tent. The knife I was in possession of when I was arrested is the knife I used to start a fire.
“At the time of my arrest, I was in the process of assisting a friend to get some urgent medical treatment. I was not aware the knife was in my pocket.
“I would never leave my tent with the knife in my pocket. I always leave it in a safe place in my tent.”
Dove had convictions for 29 previous offences, including possessing an offensive weapon in public in October 1982 and possessing a blade in public in February 2009 and February 2023.
Connor Stuart, mitigating, said that Dove had a long history of working until he fell on hard times and became homeless. He had previously served in the Royal Navy.
Dove lost all his possessions after he was arrested. He lost his tent and he would have to start from scratch when he was released from prison.
He was getting some help from the prison in terms of accommodation. Dove was jailed for six months.