Robert Redford sentenced for threatening children with knife

Robert Redford, 56, of Attwood Close, Basingstoke, was sentenced in Winchester Crown Court on Friday, January 9, having previously pleaded guilty to threatening a person with a blade / sharply pointed article in a public place and possessing a knife blade / sharp pointed article in a public place on November 28.

The court heard that on Saturday, October 18 at around 4.30pm, in Knight Street, Basingstoke, Redford was spotted by three children aged around 12 years who were playing in a nearby park, hitting the top of a fence with a knife.

Redford, who had been drinking heavily that day, then made threats towards the three boys and when one of them told him he was scared, Redford replied: "You should be scared," before pointing the kitchen knife, which had an 18cm blade (roughly 7inches) at them.

The boys were frightened and ran away, but saw that Redford was "speed walking" after them and so they took refuge with a neighbour.

Winchester Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

The boys described to the neighbour how frightened they were and one was reported to have said he thought he was going to be “stabbed and killed” by Redford.

One neighbour who saw Redford coming toward them came outside, armed with a broom handle, and warned him off. Redford responded by calling him a p**** and added: "What are you going to do? You are a stick insect, I am going to break you," before he left the scene.

The police were called and Redford was pointed out when they arrived. Following a search of the area, officers located and recovered the knife which was stabbed into the ground.

When asked why he had the knife, Redford said that there was a girl making noise in the park and he might have to cut her tongue out.

One of the boys who was threatened, aged 12, gave a victim impact statement which was read in court.

He explained that the incident made him feel shocked and scared, and made him no longer want to leave his address.

"I truly believed the male was going to harm me and my friends," his statement said.

The neighbour who let the boys take refuge in her house said gave a statement saying: "It's not the sort of thing you expect to happen in your neighbourhood."

Redford, who struggles with alcohol, had no previous convcitions involving weapons but did have some involving alcohol, including drink driving offences with the most recent being in April 2023.

In sentencing, Judge Gregory Bull KC, said hat he acknowledges Redford's alcohol problem.

He added: " I’m also told you suffer from dementia, although I have seen no evidence of that.

"In your drunkenness, you made a threat to those children. The effect on them was to be terrorised."

Mr Bull acknowledged that Redford has already served three months on remand in prison and said: "I have decided with some reluctance, I am able to suspend the sentences I pass.

"More harm will be done to you by keeping you in prison."

For the first count, Redford was sentenced to 12 months in prison, and for the second count, he was sentenced to four. These sentences would run concurrently, so, a total of 12 months.

This 12-month sentence was suspended for two years.

Redford must also complete 15 days of a rehabilitation requirement and pay a surcharge within six months.

The knife has been confiscated.