A man who attempted to flee from police with a machete in his waistband has been sentenced.

Officers were patrolling in Rodbourne and Cheney Manor on May 28 when they received information to suggest knives were being carried in a vehicle nearby, which they pulled over. 

Justin Earp, 18, of Diamond Crescent, was one of the passengers of the car and he was seen to be carrying a machete in his waistband and a large combat knife that had fallen from his clothing as he fled. 

The weapons were seized and after a chase, Earp was arrested and later charged with two counts of possession of a bladed article.

Dasham footage from Swindon Police shows the dramatic traffic stop and chase taking place, and you can see the large combat knife on the ground.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a knife in a public place and was sentenced to 26 weeks imprisonment and suspended for 24 months when he appeared at Swindon Crown Court last week.

Police now hope that Earp's sentencing will help to reassure the public that they are doing all they can to stamp out knife crime in the area after a number of high-profile stabbings over the last few months. 

PC Ben Agate said: “We are committed to targeting those who insist on carrying knives on our streets. I hope this case acts as a reassurance to the local community that we are robustly dealing with knife crime, and will do all in our power to target those carrying weapons.”

Supt Phil Staynings added: “Effectively tackling knife crime is one of my priorities. My officers are working hard to ensure that we remove knives from the streets of the borough of Swindon, acting robustly to enforce the law against offenders to protect our community.

"They work together alongside other agencies and the community to try and reduce offending, divert young people away from crime, and target the most dangerous people in the community with enforcement activity.

“The full impact of knife crime can never be underestimated and in some cases the fatal consequences it leads to. The impact this leaves on the lives of victims’ families is truly devastating and horrific.”

As well as the suspended sentence, Earp was ordered to carry out 60 hours of unpaid work, pay a £128 victim surcharge and £85 costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.

The machete and combat knife were both forfeited and destroyed by police.