A knifeman who sparked a £10,000 police search has been given a final chance to stay out of prison despite cutting off an electronic tag within days of it being fitted.
Danny Berner was supposed to be staying in at home as part of a curfew but removed the tag and fled because he thought he was being chased by drug dealers.
A Judge has given him a final chance to comply with his curfew after he agreed to have the tag fitted again and to abide by the four month long curfew.
Danny Berner, aged 18, sparked a massive police operation earlier this year when he dialled 999 and claimed he was armed with knives and hunting for people who he said had done him down.
He had been drinking and taking drugs and was found in a field near his home at Uffculme, East Devon, surrounded by knives which were stabbed into the ground.
Berner, of Highland Terrace, Uffculme, admitted having knives in a public place and was jailed for four months, suspended for two years, curfewed for two months, ordered to go on an alcohol awareness course when he was sentenced at Exeter Crown Court on August 21.
He has been complying with the other parts of the sentence but he cut off his tag ten days later and has refused two attempts to re-attach it.
Judge Simon Carr re-started the curfew and told him:"You cannot pick and choose which parts of your sentence you comply with. If you breach this order the consequence will be inevitable and I will make sure you serve every day of the suspended sentence."
Mr Tom Bradnock, prosecuting, said Berner removed the tag over the weekend of August 30 to 31 and told the monitoring company he was being threatened by those involved with drugs.
Mr Nick Bradley, defending, said Berner had genuine fears for his own safety at the time. Despite cutting off the tag he has carried on working with the probation service to tackle alcohol and substance abuse.
In the original case the court heard how Berner called the police on June 24 and said he was armed with knives and would not be coming easily.
He later claimed to have a gun hidden, said he was 'fully armed and claimed to be 'trained to fight with knives'. He was found in a field and arrested after negotiations.
