A COCAINE addict who followed a man into a pawn shop before robbing him at knifepoint has been jailed.

Burnley Crown Court heard how 21-year-old defendant John Drell Marsden prodded victim Anthony Marshall with the knife until he gave him some money.

And when Mr Marshall refused to give Marsden any more money because doing so would leave him homeless, and that instead he would have to kill him, the defendant smirked.

Prosecuting, Emma Kehoe said that on April 3 Mr Marshall was on his way to Cash Converters in Burnley when he saw Marsden, who was someone he had known for around five years.

Marsden followed his victim into Cash Converters and watched him sell his mobile phone for £130. The court was told Mr Marshall needed that money to pay his rent.

When they left the shop Marsden began to ask Mr Marshall if he wanted to buy some cannabis with him, something the victim declined to do.

Ms Kehoe said: “The next thing Mr Marshall knew the defendant had taken a knife out of his trouser pocket.

"He held the knife at chest height. He was saying, ‘I’m going to cut you in the neck now’.

“Initially Mr Marshall thought the defendant was joking. He was in shock. He said, ‘put it away. Don’t be silly’.”

When Mr Marshall realised Marsden wasn’t joking he gave him £30.

Marsden initially seemed to calm down and put the knife back in his pocket.

When Mr Marshall began to walk away he was stopped by the defendant who began prodding him in the side with the knife.

Mr Marshall gave him £10 but Marsden said he wanted £20 and began prodding him with the knife again.

Ms Kehoe said: “Mr Marshall handed over £10 and said, ‘right if you’re going to kill me do it because I will be homeless if I give you any more money’.

The defendant then sniggered and walked off.”

Marsden, of Angle Street, Burnley, pleaded guilty to threatening with an article with blade or point and theft.

The court heard he already had six convictions for 27 offences, one of which was for his role in a brutal fight at Hindley Prison, Wigan, in May 2016 involving rival gangs from Manchester and Merseyside.

Defending, Mark Stuart said his client was in poor mental health at the time of the incident as a result of his drug addiction.

Marsden was only carrying the knife because he feared for his own safety having been threatened by his drug dealer, the defence barrister added.

He said: “It is an unpleasant incident that could have had worse consequences. There is no physical injury caused as a result of this at all. It is a very short-lived incident. There’s 100 metres between where it starts and ends."

Recorder Christopher Hudson, jailing him for 15 months, said: “You were a cocaine addict on the streets of Burnley with a knife in your pocket. The fact you were a cocaine addict means you had no real control of what you were going to do.

“People need to know if you go out in Burnley with a knife and you threaten and prod people with it you are going away. I am impressed you are no longer abusing drugs. One always hopes that’s not the case.”