A THUG who threatened to knife teenagers in a park was jailed.

Ben Addison, 34, had been released from prison for sexual assault and was living rough in Horsham.

He failed to keep in touch with supervisors after his release, and was spotted brandishing a piece of metal which people feared was a knife.

Addison was seen stumbling and slurring his words after drinking early in the morning.

To one teenager passing through Horsham Park he said: “I will stab you and slice up your friends.”

At Lewes Crown Court Addison complained that he has been mostly locked up in prison since the age of 16 and said: “No way am I being locked up.”

Her Honour Judge Janet Waddicor jailed him for a total of eight months for the offence of carrying an offensive weapon, and breaching the terms of a sexual harm prevention order.

Louise Walls, prosecuting, said the incident unfolded on February 1 last month.

She said Addison had failed to notify his supervisor nine times after leaving prison

Fiona Clagg, defending, said Addison had the weapon with him for his own protection while sleeping rough, and had felt targeted.

She said Addison was “truly remorseful” about the incident, and said her client’s mental health was getting worse after he was sleeping rough. He is diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.

“He is 34-years-old and he has been within an institution since the age of 16,” Ms Clagg said. “He has been taking medication for his medication and when he does, generally things are fine, but when he does not there is a deterioration and a link with his offending.”

In the dock, Addison rejected claims he swore at the youths and threatened them with the weapon, but admitted possessing the weapon in public.

Judge Waddicor said the children involved “were terrified”.

She said: “I believe you were living rough and were an easy target, but it doesn’t stop there. You scared the life out of a group of young people, firstly by following them then later the same day you were behaving in a disorganised fashion.

“You threatened people and they believed their lives were at risk.”

Addison, formerly of Lewes Prison, is back behind bars.