A MAN is banned from the Orwell bridge today after repeatedly threatening to commit suicide.David Lawson of Lavenham Road, Ipswich, was seen by a police officer with one leg over the side of the bridge on March 23.

A MAN is banned from the Orwell bridge today after repeatedly threatening to commit suicide.

David Lawson of Lavenham Road, Ipswich, was seen by a police officer with one leg over the side of the bridge on March 23.

He was said to be gesturing that he was going to jump and was arrested for causing a public nuisance.

Lawson appeared before South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court where he admitted a public order offence.

The offence meant he was also in breach of a suspended sentence order imposed in December for endangering life and threatening to destroy property.

During that offence the 32-year-old threatened to kick an open petrol canister into a gas fire.

South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court heard in December that a police officer had arrived at the home Lawson shares with his mother to find it smelt strongly of petrol.

Lawson was holding two large kitchen knives which he put down when asked.

The officer noticed some unopened cans of beer and some paracetamol tablets on the table.

Gareth Davies, prosecuting on that occasion said: “The defendant said if the officer came any further into the room he would make the room explode.”

He then went into the kitchen and started taking the pills but the officer managed to thwart the suicide bid.

Mr Davies said Lawson, who had been taunted by youths for four years and was beaten up by them the previous year, had wanted to end his suffering.

Speaking after the case Lawson had said everyone on Ipswich's Triangle estate was fed up with youngsters committing anti-social behaviour.

He said: “They are making my life a misery and everyone has had enough of them at the end of the day.

“I don't go up on the bridge often. Everybody has just had enough.”

For that offence he was given 16 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to undertake 200 hours of community punishment.

That order was also breached earlier this month when Lawson was found in possession of a bladed article in London Road, Ipswich.

He was given an additional 100 hours of community punishment for the breach.

An order excluding him from the Orwell bridge has now been added to the suspended sentence and Lawson has been fined £30 for the public order offence.

Do you agree with the court's decision to exclude Lawson from the Orwell bridge? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.