A LONG serving former soldier with post traumatic stress threatened a fellow customer waiting to be served at Skipton's Bizzie Lizzie's fish and chip shop, heard magistrates.

Lee Dodgson, 38, was heard to say he had got a knife and would slit the throat of the person next to him in the Swadford Street shop, the Skipton court heard on Friday.

The woman member of staff, who had been serving Dodgson at around 3pm on May 20, said the threatened man had looked 'petrified' and had asked her to call the police.

In her statement, read out in court, she added she had also been concerned for her own safety and believed he might turn on her.

Dodgson, who had in fact not been carrying a knife at the time, was found by police outside eating his fish and chips.

Dodgson, who admitted using threatening words or behaviour, had been medically discharged from the army Signals after 21 years with post traumatic stress.

He had served in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq, suffered blackouts and nightmares, and loud noises triggered flashbacks, the court heard.

In mitigation, Tahir Hanif said Dodgson had suffered a particularly bad few days prior to the incident. He had not slept for four days, had been very anxious and could remember little about it, although he was full of remorse.

Since the incident, he had contacted an army helpline and had sought to address his drink problem with visits to Craven Organisation for Drugs and Alcohol (CODA).

Magistrates sentenced Dodgson, of Broughton Road, to a 12 month community order with supervision. He was also fined £50 and ordered to pay costs of £85 and victims surcharge of £60.

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