An Angus man walked past a police station on the way to meet his mother at the bingo with a 20-centimetre blade protruding from his waistband.
Michael Martin from Arbroath appeared from custody at Forfar Sheriff Court and admitted possessing a knife while subject to eight bail orders and a high-tariff structured deferred sentence on December 19 last year.
Depute fiscal Catriona Dickie said a witness had observed the 29-year-old enter and leave his North Grimsby flat while carrying the potential weapon and he was intercepted by police on the way to Gala Bingo in High Street.
He was originally charged under indictment but the complaint was reduced to summary level and sentence deferred for reports, while Martin was released on a curfew.
Ms Dickie said: “At 7pm on the date in question, a witness was at the locus and was in the area of North Grimsby homeless unit in Arbroath.
“The witness observed he clearly had a large knife sticking from the pocket of the accused’s jeans.
“He was talking on the telephone and appeared calm going into his flat.
“They saw him leaving again with the knife and called the police.”
Police spoke to the accused and found the knife had moved around to the front waistband of his jeans.
Defending Martin, solicitor Nick Markowski said the offence was down to “stupidity on his part”.
He said: “The knife could be accurately described as a bread knife.
“My client had received a phone call from his mother, who was at the bingo nearby.
“At that time, he was living in North Grimsby. He was using the knife legitimately and stuck it in his pocket and went to meet her.
“He’s probably gone about 200 yards before he was stopped.”
Mr Markowski said a period in prison had already had a positive effect on Martin, who was “looking awful” due to consumption of legal highs.
Martin was sentenced to six months in prison, backdated to February 19, including a period for bail aggravation.
He was also given a consecutive 80-day sentence for committing theft while on bail.
Sheriff Pino di Emidio said: “The only way I can deal with this is by way of custodial sentence.”