Andrew Maloney, 55, was out in the town on the evening of Friday 28 April 2023 when he became aggressive towards a man at a premises in the High Street.
The man, who was not known to Maloney, had intervened in a conversation between the offender and a third man. Maloney became agitated and produced a knife, causing a disturbance that other members of the public who were present tried to calm.
Despite the knife being moved to a place of safety, Maloney climbed over a counter to retrieve it before leaving the scene.
An investigation led to the arrest of Maloney who was later charged in connection with the incident.
After pleading guilty to affray and making threats with an offensive weapon, Maloney, formerly of The Derings, Lydd, was given a two-year, three-month prison sentence at Canterbury Crown Court on Wednesday 19 June.
He was also given a ten-year restraining order.
Detective Inspector Stephanie Devon said: “People in Kent have the right to feel safe when socialising and offenders such as Maloney need to know that violent and aggressive behaviour will not be tolerated.
“I hope the prison term that Maloney has received serves as a reminder that we take knife crime very seriously. We will always strive to bring criminals who would use knives to inflict harm, or fear of harm, to justice.”
