A DRUNKEN knifeman who attacked a security guard with a blade at a popular summer event in Dorchester has been sent to prison.

Alan Clifford Harris, aged 49, of North Street, Charminster, cut a security guard’s chin with a knife at the inaugural Dorchester Cider Festival at the Borough Gardens in August.

A court heard he had been thrown out but returned and got into an argument with security guards before 'lunging' at one of them.

He was sentenced at Dorchester Crown Court after admitting having an article with a blade or point and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
 
The festival was attended by hundreds of people, raising thousands of pounds for charity.

The court heard that at around 10.15pm, Harris got in a dispute with a first aider and was aggressive.

Richard Tutt, prosecuting, said Christopher Lanes was one of two security guards who responded and escorted him out. Harris returned to the site and shouted obscenities at them.

Mr Tutt said Harris was removed once again but re-appeared at the gate.

He then stepped through the gate and 'lunged' towards Mr Lanes, the court was told.

Mr Tutt said both guards went to restrain him before Harris struck Mr Lanes in the chin.

Mr Tutt said: “At first Christopher Lanes thought it was a punch but then he felt blood dripping from a wound.”

Mr Lanes had flicked his head backwards as an ‘instinctive reaction’ in advance of being struck.
Harris was wrestled to the ground and a lock-knife knocked out of his hand.

Mr Lanes received hospital treatment for a 1cm laceration which was 2mm deep.

Thomas Wilkins, mitigating, said the incident occurred at a point in his client’s life where his personal circumstances were going downhill, and he had been 'binge drinking' on the night.

Mr Wilkins said Harris had carried the knife as a keyring and used it for work.

He said: “He had no intention of using it as a weapon.”

Summing up, Judge Jonathan Fuller QC said: “It was an uppercut lunge. It could have caused very considerable injury to Mr Lanes."

Harris was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for having a blade and two years’ imprisonment for assault occasioning abh, to run concurrently.

After the event, a spokesman for festival organisers Dorchester Round Table said:
"The incident highlighted one of the many serious aspect of running safe and secure public events.

"We were saddened that someone would bring a blade into the heart of our town and behave like that, but luckily all of the plans and processes put in place for the event worked as we had envisaged."

Managing director of Event Security Southern Ltd Dan Wilson said: "We are pleased with the outcome and sentence as this highlights the dangers that people working in the private security industry can face on a day-to-day basis.

"Our operative, we are pleased to say, has made a full recovery and wish to thank Dorset Police and the event organisers for all their support.

"We hope that this awful isolated incident does not mar what was an extremely successful event.”