A racist who terrorised a group of children with a knife in a south Essex park has walked free on a suspended sentence.
Jamie Clements, 32, of Linford Drive, Basildon, brandished the weapon in front of a group of kids in a park while screaming racist abuse.
But he was spared prison at Basildon Crown Court on Tuesday (May 19) after claiming he was caring for his grandmother as she underwent chemotherapy after his grandfather's sudden death.
"It was an unwarranted, disgusting piece of behaviour," said Judge Siew Loke.
"The effect of these offences was significant. One of the children continues to suffer panic attacks and anxiety attacks two years later."
On October 13 2023, Clements approached a group of children, aged between 11 and 13, in a park on Luncies Road.
"I'm going to stab all of you!" he screamed. "I'm not scared to go to prison again!"
He singled out one child, of Asian heritage, and shouted racist slurs at him, telling him: "I will stamp on your head! I will stamp you out! I'm not afraid to go back to prison!"
He then produced a yellow-handled knife from either his waistband or his pocket and waved it at the children, thrusting it at the Asian child and another boy in particular.
Clements left the scene when a member of the public intervened. Then one of the children flagged down a police car and reported the incident.
Essex Police found Clements at a Nisa shop on Timberlog Lane. When searched, he was still carrying the knife, as well as two wraps of cocaine.
He denied the offences, forcing the children to wait for and then endure a magistrates' court trial, at which he was convicted of possessing a bladed article in a public place, possessing Class A drugs, using threatening words or behaviour with intent to cause fear or provocation of violence, and a racially aggravated public order offence.
Prosecutor Hannah Wilson said one of the children had produced a "powerful" impact statement, explaining how he had been diagnosed with PTSD, had begun bedwetting and felt scared even in his own home, sleeping with scissors and hammers at his side to feel safe.
He was scared to walk to school of a morning and wouldn't even visit one of his grandparents after hearing Clements lived in the same area.
He suffered regular, extremely painful panic attacks which felt like he was suffering heart attacks.
Defence barrister Tommy Dominguez told the court on Tuesday that his client now felt remorse for his actions and was engaging weekly with an organisation called Open Road to address his drug use.
Clements had convictions for 19 previous offences, including harassment, drugs offences and one previous incident involving a bladed article.
However, his last conviction - for harassment - had been in 2016, and he had committed no further offences since the 2023 knife incident.
The incident was "a one-off" due to his "inability to deal with trauma... These offences arose during a period when the defendant's life had significantly unravelled," said Mr Dominguez.
Clements had now "started to turn a corner in his life".
"It's given him an opportunity to prove that he can lead a law-abiding life," said the lawyer.
"In March this year, his grandfather died suddenly from a heart attack - an event which Mr Clements tells me he personally witnessed. He describes that experience as traumatic."
Clements now accompanied his grandmother to regular chemotherapy appointments, Mr Dominguez continued, so his imprisonment would have a detrimental impact upon her.
Judge Loke said: "I am only just persuaded there are exceptional circumstances in your case."
She sentenced Clements to two years in prison, suspended for 18 months.
He must complete 150 hours of unpaid work, 30 rehabilitation days and a 26-session "building choices" course.
He must also pay a £100 fine, £400 costs and a £187 statutory victim surcharge.
"You were very close to going to prison today," the judge told him.
A woman related to one of the child victims left court in tears, saying there was "no justice" in the sentence.
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