A 20-YEAR-old threatened to “slice” a man with a knife in Bradford’s Lister Park as horrified families looked on, a court heard.

Sime Kamal, of Athol Road, Manningham, chased Muhammad Ali with a lock knife through the park on June 27 this year.

He appeared before Bradford Crown Court and was sentenced to 14 months in a young offender institution, suspended for two years, for threatening behaviour and possession of a knife.

Judge David Hatton QC said in sentencing: “You pursued a young man through Lister Park in full public view with the first of the two knives and threatened him with it.

“You had with you a second knife in a bag which I’m told you you habitually carried.”

Kamal was also ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work and complete 20 days of rehabilitation activity.

Prosecutor Robert Yates described how the complainant, Mr Ali, was known to Kamal.

“The defendant initially approached and greeted the complainant normally.

“He returned a short time later, speaking in a Liverpudlian accent and was threatening towards the complainant producing the knife.

“He initially made little sense. Then he said: ‘I will slice your throat and cut you.’ as well as ‘I will slice you and make you into a cheeseburger’.”

He added that Mr Ali ran off and Kamal gave chase for a short period, before then chasing after someone else.

The police were called and found the defendant nearby as well as the knife which he had already discarded. Another knife was also found in the bag he was carrying, the court heard.

Rukhshanda Hussain, for Kamal, said that he suffered from depression, anxiety and some paranoia.

She added that his ongoing health problems had resulted in him losing his job around the time of the offence.

This had been exacerbated by alcohol and substance abuse, she added.

“There is some history between the defendant and the complainant,” she said.

“In April 2017, the defendant felt bullied by the complainant and became paranoid.

“Because of this and his desire to protect himself, that’s why he had the second knife with him – it was something he regularly carried around.”

She added that upon reflection he knew that there was absolutely no justification for his actions. “He recognises his actions must have absolutely petrified those families and young children enjoying the park that day.”

An order was made for the forfeiture and destruction of the two knives.