Man caught with knife near vigil for Southport stabbing victims jailed

Davies hid behind a pillar when he saw a police officer, the court heard, but he was then spotted and searched.

In bodyworn footage played to the court, Davies, of Portland Street, Southport, could be heard asking officers: “‘Cause of yesterday and I look a bit foreign, are you kidding me?”

He claimed his daughter had been stabbed and that he had picked the bag up, and told police he had planned to hand it in to an amnesty bin.

But Judge Watson described his claims as “untrue”, saying he was on his way to join “mob violence” outside the mosque on St Luke’s Road.

The court heard at the time of the incident Davies, who has 15 previous convictions for 25 offences, was serving a suspended sentence for offences including racially aggravated public order.

Davies’ defence team said he was “extremely sorry for the pain and suffering” he had caused.