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Mourners had to intervene when a knife-carrying teenager ruined a funeral at York Crematorium, the city’s magistrates heard.
Matthew Robson, 19, assaulted a pregnant woman as she was waiting to approach the coffin, said Alison Whiteley, prosecuting.
He had earlier hugged her sister, his ex-girlfriend, from behind, holding her too tightly. He was swaying and unsteady on his feet, the court heard.
One of the male mourners present tried to get him to stop and Robson responded by threatening him, saying he had a knife and saying words similar to “I will shut you up”.
He appeared to have been drinking and had a lock knife in his pocket, which he later claimed to police he had found a few hours earlier.
Robson had known the pregnant sister was expecting a child. He told her to move on as they stood in the queue to approach the coffin before pushing her on the shoulder, said Ms Whiteley.
He then said he was sorry in a “smug” way.
“His behaviour was not acceptable at any time and especially at a funeral,” said Ms Whiteley, quoting from the pregnant woman’s statement.
“It made her feel threatened and vulnerable. It interfered with the memory of the person who had died.”
Police were called to the crematorium and Robson was arrested. He told officers he had drunk a bottle of rum. He has previous convictions for having a knife and robbery, York magistrates heard.
Robson, of East Parade, Harrogate, wore a medical mask during the hearing. When this was queried by the court he initially claimed he did so for “personal reasons” and when he was told he would have to remove it, he said it was for “mental health” reasons.
Magistrates allowed him to continue wearing it. While they were out considering their sentence, he removed it for a time but replaced it before they returned.
He pleaded guilty to carrying a knife in public, assaulting the pregnant woman and two failures to attend court earlier in the case. For each of the two previous hearings, he had had to be arrested on a court warrant to get him into the dock.
He was given a 52-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months on condition he does 20 days’ rehabilitative activities and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £187 statutory surcharge.
Magistrates were told under a new law they had to suspend the prison sentence.
James Dixon, for Robson, said he had been struggling with his mental health and had been unable to leave his flat to come to two earlier hearings of the case.
He had been diagnosed with autism at an early age and was suspected of having depression and anxiety.
“He would be grateful for any help offered. He wants to turn his life around and he wants to integrate in society,” said Mr Dixon.
He currently lives in sheltered accommodation, said the defence solicitor. Robson had found the knife in a hedge and decided to take it with him.
Ms Whiteley said the funeral was on April 16. The two sisters were initially relieved when they arrived at the funeral and couldn’t see Robson.
About five minutes later, Robson came up to them and started hugging his former girlfriend from behind.