A CONVICTED killer armed himself with a long kitchen knife and told his rival: "I'm Paul Ellis; you don't mess with me," a court heard.

Minutes earlier, Andrew Tweedie saw Ellis draw the knife across his own throat and point to him in what the judge called an unmistakeable threatening gesture.

Prosecutor Alistair Verheijen said that around 11pm on April 9, Mr Tweedie called round at his ex-partner's address in Barrack Place, Stonehouse, to collect some clothes and money which he believed she owed him.

He buzzed the flat's entryphone and saw the woman and Ellis looking at him from the kitchen window.

He shouted that he wanted his property, but Ellis responded with the throat-cutting gesture.

Mr Tweedie then phoned the police and hid behind a black taxi.

The street door opened and Ellis appeared carrying a long-bladed kitchen knife in one hand and a white carrier bag in the other.

He shouted: "Where are you? I'm Paul Ellis; you don't mess with me."

Two police officers arrived to see the two men arguing and found the knife, which Ellis had dropped under a car.

He was arrested, searched and found to be in possession of tiny amounts of herbal cannabis and cannabis resin and four temazepam tablets.

Ellis initially claimed he had found the knife in the street, but later pleaded guilty to possessing a bladed article in a public place and three drug possession charges.

Mr Verheijen said Ellis, aged 38 and from Beacon Park Road, Beacon Park, had previous convictions for offences including manslaughter, possessing explosives, carrying a folding pocket knife and assaulting police.

Nigel Hall, for Ellis, said Mr Tweedie had phoned the night before and threatened to stab his ex-girlfriend.

Ellis knew Mr Tweedie had convictions for public order offences and a police caution for having a weapon in a public place.

But when the men confronted each other in the street, Ellis did not threaten him with the knife.

Mr Hall said his client was not drunk, drugged or on bail at the time, but had made a "stupid error of judgement" in not simply leaving Mr Tweedie's property outside.

Judge Ian Leeming told recovering heroin addict Ellis: "You have a record of offending which is long and substantial, with 21 court appearances and a background of violence."

He sentenced Ellis to a total of 26 weeks in jail and ordered the knife and drugs to be destroyed.