A BEREAVED father who threatened to kill himself with a knife in the street, a year after his baby son died, was jailed yesterday.

Timothy Jay never recovered from having to take the decision last year to switch off the hospital machine which was keeping his nine-day-old son alive, Teesside Crown Court was told.

In June, almost a year after the baby's death, Jay took a knife into the street in Seaham intending to kill himself.

Yesterday, Jay, 27, of Fox Street, Seaham, appeared before the court and admitted making a threat to kill, affray, possessing an offensive weapon and damaging property. He was jailed for 18 months.

Ayshea Munsi, prosecuting, said Jay's mother called the police.

When officers responded to the call, they found photograph frames smashed on the living room floor of the house.

Jay was in the middle of the road, holding a knife and waving it at them.

Jay made threats to kill them and then drew the knife across his chest, cutting his sweatshirt.

He then drew the knife across his arm.

He struck a police vehicle with the knife, causing £225 worth of damage, before dropping to his knees and holding the knife towards his stomach, said Miss Munsi.

The officers spoke to him and he threw the knife down.

Jane Waugh, for Jay, said the incident occurred almost a year after he lost his nine-day-old son, who had been born prematurely and died in an incubator in hospital after suffering injuries which left him brain dead.

Jay had to take the decision to turn off the machine keeping him alive, and had never quite recovered from the ordeal.

He spent two weeks sitting at his son's graveside and had received no counselling or help, said Miss Waugh.

She said: "He was in such despair that he just wanted to kill himself so he could be with his son."

Jay admitted threatening to kill the officers, but he had not intended to hurt anyone other than himself, said Miss Waugh