Craigavon man claimed he took a 8" knife from someone at a party in Lurgan as a 'good citizen', Craigavon court hears
A Co Armagh man, who claimed he had taken an eight-inch knife from another person at a house party in Lurgan, has pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon.
Ryan O’Connor , aged 28, from Willowfield Crescent, Craigavon, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court charged with possessing a knife in a public place.
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It is understood the incident happened at Annesborough Road, Lurgan on January 25 this year.
A lawyer for Madden and Finucane Solicitors said the defendant pleaded guilty to the charge. He said O’Connor claimed during interview he had taken the knife off someone else at a party and told this to police immediately.
A prosecutor said it was a large kitchen knife approximately six to eight inches long and the defendant had answered ‘no comment’ during interview.
The lawyer said his instructions were that he gave an account during interview. Deputy District Judge Gerard Trainor said: “He clearly didn’t.”
O’Connor’s lawyer said his client took the knife from another person at a house party and accepts he should have called the police immediately.
Deputy District Judge Gerard Trainor said: “Do you mean he was trying to act as a good citizen? Is that what you are telling me?”
"Yes, that’s exactly right,” said the lawyer.
"He doesn’t have a record that indicates that he is a good citizen,” said the deputy district judge asking what the defendant does for a living.
The lawyer said O’Connor is in receipt of PIP and suffers from ‘bad mental health issues’.
"The only thing that can be said in his favour is that he doesn’t have any history of violence,” said the deputy district judge, giving O’Connor a choice between a pre-sentence report or to deal with it now. The lawyer indicated his client wanted it dealt with.
"This is a very serious offence. You are found in public with a prohibited weapon which is an eight-inch blade. It passes the custody threshold,” the deputy district judge told O’Connor, sentencing him to two years in prison suspended for two years.
A destruction order for the knife was granted and O’Connor’s lawyer was also granted legal aid.