A PARANOID drug addict with 302 criminal offences on his record has been jailed for 18 months after he was arrested at Bradford Interchange with three knives.

Colin Beetham, who also had heroin on him, was apprehended at the railway station in Bradford city centre at 5.20pm on October 13 when it was busy with commuters.

He had called the police saying he was being followed and would kill people after buying three craft knives that day, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Beetham, 55, formerly of Queen’s Road, Crossflatts, but now of no fixed address, was sentenced on a video link to Leeds Prison after being recalled on licence.

He had 113 convictions for 302 offences, including two of being in possession of knives.

Prosecutor Andrew Stranex said today that Beetham had pleaded guilty to three offences of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and possession of a wrap of heroin.

In 2008, he was sentenced for having a kitchen knife at Bradford’s Lynfield Mount Hospital, and in 2019 he was locked up for 20 months after threatening to kill people when he was in possession of a pizza knife at Trafalgar House Police Station in Bradford.

Mr Stranex said the latest offences were aggravated by Beetham’s previous convictions that included numerous breaches of court orders. He was under the influence of drugs at the time and in breach of a conditional discharge.

His barrister, Camille Morland, said: “He is 55 with a very, very long record indeed and a long-standing addiction to Class A drugs.”

The drugs had given Beetham mental health problems and there were elements of paranoia in his behaviour. He had never used the weapons he carried.

The offences at Bradford Interchange were a cry for help, Miss Morland said.

He rang the police and made threats because he believed he was being followed and persecuted.

Beetham now spent most of his time in a wheelchair because of severe arthritis. He was homeless and his poor health would make him vulnerable to Covid-19 in prison.

Judge Andrew Hatton said the railway station would have been very busy with all sorts of people at that time.

The 302 criminal offences on Beetham’s record were for a whole range of offences including two previous convictions for possession of a bladed article.

Judge Hatton accepted that Beetham had mental health problems and was on medication for depression and anxiety.

His licence period ran out next month but the offences were so serious that he would have to spend more time behind bars.