A ‘dangerous’ offender with a horrendous criminal record has been jailed again for carrying out a knifepoint robbery.

Paul Smith, of Town Hall Street, Great Harwood, appeared at Preston Crown Court after pleading guilty to robbery, assault by beating and possession of a bladed article.

Prosecuting, Mercedeh Jabbari said at around 5.05am on October 17, Smith’s victim had been leaving his house on Robert Street, Blackburn, in order to cycle to work.

As the victim went to place his AirPods in and turn on some music for his ride to work, he was approached by Smith, and another man.

Ms Jabbari said: “The defendant walked towards him and said ‘you’re up early mate’ and then asked him for a cigarette.

“When the victim said he didn’t smoke or drink he was punched in the chest by the defendant which resulted in him dropping his mobile phone.

“The defendant then pulled out a black handled knife which was described by the victim as being about a finger length, and brandished it towards him.”

The court heard how the victim got off his bike and pushed it back into his yard before grabbing a broom handle to protect himself and going back out onto the street where he saw Smith picking up his phone and running into a nearby property.

Ms Jabbari added: “The victim went back into his house and told his wife and the police were called.

“When the police arrived the victim directed them to the house he had seen the defendant go into and they found him there with two other males.

“He became aggressive with the police but was arrested and the mobile phone was found outside the front of the house with the knife being recovered from a cupboard in the house.”

Smith was interviewed and told police they had the wrong man, giving them the name of a man who was already serving time in prison.

Ms Jabbari said the second man who had been with Smith during the robbery was released without further charge.

Appearing via video link from prison, Smith, 33, who has 35 convictions for 85 offences read a letter to Recorder Daniel Lister where he expressed how sorry he was and told the judge he wanted to make a change in his life.

Sentencing, Recorder Lister said he had to consider whether Smith was a dangerous offender and posed a risk to the public and of reoffending, which he conceded he was.

He said: “Some of your previous robbery convictions are very similar to this offence, whereby you have approached strangers in the street.

“In this offence your behaviour has increased by the use of a knife to threaten the victim.

“The pattern of violence has gotten worse.

“But there’s two sides to you – someone who cares and someone who doesn’t want to offend again, and someone who suffers with paranoid schizophrenia, abuse of alcohol and drugs and someone who fails to take his medication.

“You are of high risk of reconviction and present a risk of serious harm to the public and I do reach the conclusion that you are dangerous.”

Smith was handed an extended sentence of six and a half years. He will serve four and a half years in prison before being released on licence for two years.