A man caught with a lock knife in his vehicle after a police stop has been ordered to complete 120 hours of community service.
Sentencing the 28-year-old, the district judge commented: “There is only one reason anyone would have a flick knife on them.”
Robertas Sciolokovas, of Thomas Street in Portadown, appeared for sentencing on possession of an offensive weapon in a public place at Armagh Magistrates’ Court, sitting at Newry on Tuesday.
Prosecution outlined that on November 23, police stopped a Toyota Rav 4 on the Armagh Road, Moy, and the driver identified himself as the defendant.
During a search of Sciolokovas’ bag a lock knife, approximately three to four inches long, was located.
Defence solicitor Kevin McCamley stated: “I ask that he is given maximum credit given his very early guilty plea and the fact that hasn’t in anyway impeded the police investigation.
“He is someone who apologises to the court. He has no previous criminal record, certainly in this jurisdiction, I don’t know about abroad but police will have done those checks.”
Mr McCamley commented that his client, who is a barber by trade, accepted he had a knife and it was illegal to do so.
District Judge Bernie Kelly stated: “There is only one reason anyone would have a flick knife on them.”
She continued: “Mr Sciolokovas, reflecting your plea of guilty and your lack of previous offending I am certifying this offence as sufficiently serious to merit the imposition of a community-based disposal.”
The defendant was ordered to complete 120 hours of community service.
