A THREE-time blade offender who was caught in unlawful possession of a knife on a Greenock street after dark has been jailed.

Kevin Keith, 45, also breached a night-time curfew just two days after appearing in court charged with the offence and being released on bail.

Keith — previously jailed for pulling a knife on police — had been ordered to stay within his Brachelston Street home between 7pm and 7am.

But he flouted the directive just 48 hours after being caught roaming around Prospecthill Street with the knife on December 7 last year.

The Telegraph told previously how Keith produced a kitchen blade from his waistband as a police officer attempted to arrest him.

He dropped it when another PC grabbed him — then claimed he'd been carrying it for self-defence.

Keith — who served a jail term in 2005 for another blade offence — told the officers: "There's people after me.

"I've got it for my own protection."

He and another man were charged with carrying out a hammer attack last year, however, the allegation was dropped after they agreed to plead guilty to what was termed by a sheriff as a 'horrible' breach of the peace.

They had been accused of repeatedly striking another man on the head during a neighbourhood noise dispute.

However, the allegation was withdrawn as part of a negotiated guilty plea to repeatedly kicking the door of a flat and making threats of violence while two young children were inside.

Sheriff Seith Ireland has sentenced Keith to 24 months imprisonment for his latest knife offence.