A former soldier was caught with a knife after medication caused him to forget he had it, a court was told.

Christian James, of Warwick Close, Macclesfield, left the army after being shot and experiences post traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.

James, who has also battled heroin problems, was stopped by police when they spotted him cycling erratically through Macclesfield, a hearing was told.

And when the officer caught up with the 42-year-old he discovered he had a four and a half inch blade in his pocket.

Debbie Byrne, prosecuting, told a hearing on Wednesday (April 15) at Macclesfield Magistrates’ Court: “The officer saw James on a mountain bike at the junction of Park Lane and Oxford Road in Macclesfield.

“He saw that motorists were being forced to stop suddenly due to his erratic cycling.

“The officer followed and stopped Mr James, at that point he had his bike upside down and he was tinkering with it.

“He said to the officer that there was a problem with the bike’s brakes.

“A member of the public shouted to the PC that Mr James had hidden something in his jacket pocket.

“The defendant produced the knife, it was a four and a half inch wooden handled steak knife.

“He was arrested for possessing the knife. In interview he said he had been making a pizza at the house where he lived and taken it to his room.

“He said had put the knife in his pocket. Later on he decided to go to the bank. He is taking medication for PTSD and anxiety and it causes him to be forgetful.

“He said he had no reason to have the knife in public.”

James pleaded guilty to possessing the knife blade in a public place at the hearing.

Lesley Herman, defending, said: “He was discharged from the army as he had been shot and so he has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

“He has had problems with drugs and was committing crimes in the past but that stopped in 2009. At that time he came into an inheritance when his parents died and went to detox and stopped using heroin.

“This offence came when he started using heroin again.

“He has now started a detox again.

“It’s clear there are issues.”

James is due to be sentenced at a later date.