A POLISH man was sentenced to 112 days in prison after he "disappeared from the system" for eight months.

Tomasz Skorupski, 29, who recently lived at the Huggard Centre, Cardiff, was charged with possessing a blade at Newport Train Station on July 16 last year and using threatening words and behaviour towards staff.

He was due to appear in court in relation to these matters on August 2, but failed to attend.

However, he was arrested last Wednesday following an unrelated incident in Cardiff city centre and brought before Caerphilly Magistrates' Court to answer the original charges.

Prosecutor Rob Sinkins said Skorupski had tried to board a train to Trowbridge with no ticket and no money, but was refused entry to the station.

He was then found by staff trying to climb a fence to the side of the terminal. He was stopped from entering and made an offensive remark regardng the British nationality of staff. Skorupski them thrust what Mr Sinkins described as "a piece of paper" at them aggressively.

When arrested he was found to have a lock knife in his possession. He told police he was living rough and used it to cut up food to eat.

Distrcit Judge Richard Williams alluded to another failure to attend at a Wiltshire court in saying: "You disappeared from the sytem for eight months and have a serial record of ignoring court orders.

Skorupski admitted three charges. He was sentenced to 84 days for possession of a blade, 28 days consecutive for failure to attend with no further punsihment for the public order offence.