A woman accused of having a knife in public has walked free from court - saved by a sausage, lawyers said today.
Jane Bellas, 29, from Penrith, Cumbria, avoided a miscarriage of justice after being spotted handling the foodstuff, Carlisle crown court heard.
Bellas was arrested in her car near her home on January 31 after officers spotted her with a kitchen knife. Bellas protested her innocence, telling police officers she needed the knife for her job on a fast food stall in Penrith's market square.
But the local council was unable to confirm that she had a licence, and she was charged with having a knife in a public place without good reason. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)ploughed on with the prosecution, appointing solicitors and gathering evidence from the police.
But Tim Evans, a barrister in the case, told Carlisle Crown Court yesterday a sausage had saved the day. Council records showed food inspectors had earlier seen Bellas "tinkering with a generator while handling a sausage", Mr Evans said. This proved the defendant had a valid reason for carrying a knife in public: her occupation.
The Crown offered no evidence against her. Bellas was formally found not guilty and given £10 to cover her travelling expenses.
A spokesman said: "The CPS keeps all cases under continuous review. In this case, new evidence came to light that Jane Bellas had a valid reason for carrying a knife in a public place. We accepted that the knife was for use at her place of work. Therefore we offered no evidence."
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