A Sheffield thug who pulled out a knife and headbutted a man has been jailed

Phillip Anderson turned up at an address on Lytton Crescent, Parson Cross, on November 30 last year, where his ex-partner was visiting, said prosecutor Kevin Jones.

He began shouting at a male friend of his ex's: "Everyone's telling me you want to beat me up. Let's have it," and pushed his forehead against the other man's forehead.

Anderson produced a black-handled knife with a three-inch blade and pointed it at the man's stomach, but the man caught his wrist and shook the knife from his hand.

Anderson got him in a head-lock and the pair tussled as police were called. When Anderson was released, he retrieved his knife and came at the man again.

The man grabbed his arm, but Anderson headbutted him in the face and ran off.

In a statement, the man said: "I was in genuine fear. It was scary to think what might have happened."

On Thursday, Sheffield Crown Court heard that Anderson has previous convictions for common assault, criminal damage and battery.

In December 2019, he smashed a window at his ex-partner’s home with a child’s scooter, and, in October 2020, he injured her after throwing a broken bottle at her head, Mr Jones said.

He committed the current offences five days after his appearance in the magistrates’ court.

Lucy Hogarth, mitigating, said Anderson’s ex-partner sent him hundreds of messages. He “complied well” with a suspended sentence order, she said, but a course on building better relationships hadn’t been available for him.

She said his relationship with his ex-partner was “difficult” and featured “mixed messages,” but said he admitted his conduct was “shameful.”

“He is very glad he didn’t succeed in causing his victim any more serious harm,” she said.

Anderson, aged 32, of Buchanan Road, Parson Cross, pleaded guilty to threatening with and possession of a blade, and common assault.

Recorder Taryn Turner told him their relationship was “toxic” and the time they would spend apart would be good for both of them. Anderson was jailed for 18 months.

Read the latest cases from Sheffield Crown Court here.

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