Man claims knife was for protection

A MAN who was found with a knife clipped inside his tracksuit bottom has told the district court that the knife was for his protection following a fight at the caravan park where he was living.

Kristian Coffey of Seaside Caravan Park, Cappaclough, Camp, was before Cahersiveen District Court on road traffic offences, including driving without insurance and a licence, the unlawful possession of cannabis, and for carrying a knife with a blade on March 30,2018 at Market Street, Killorglin.

Sgt Miriam Mulhall Nolan told the court that Mr Coffey was found with a small ziplock bag with cannabis in it inside the driver’s side door of the car. During this search Mr Coffey was also found with a knife.

Judge David Waters said he would give Mr Coffey a custodial sentence if he had any previous convictions in relation to firearms offence but he does not.

His solicitor, Paul O’Donoghue, told the court that he co-operated fully with the gardaí and admitted that he had no license and insurance and he drew the attention of the garda to the cannabis.

He said that the reason Mr Coffey was carrying a knife was for his protection but that he didn’t think he would use it.

He told the court that 10 days before Mr Coffey was stopped by gardaí there was a fight in the caravan park where he was staying. He was not involved in the fight but somebody had knocked on his door for assistance and he was subsequently threatened and had the knife for that reason. He already owned the knife from previous employment

Judge Waters asked if he was carrying the knife for protection did that mean it was going to be used? “If you are carrying around a knife for some purpose you should be going to jail.”

The court heard that the 20-year old has a seven month old son and is unemployed.

Mr O’Donoghue said that Mr Coffey had purchased the car a week before the incident and was taking it to Killorglin when he was stopped.

Judge Waters, echoing another colleague, Judge John Clifford, said that the garda must be the best garda in the world because the first time that Mr Coffey took the car on the road they caught him.

He was convicted and fined €200 for the unlawful possession of drugs, a further conviction and fine of €250 for driving without insurance – but he did not receive a disqualification – and a €100 fine for driving without a license. He was convicted and fined €250 for the knife incident.

Mr Coffey, was also before the court in relation to a separate incident which occurred on December 5, 2016 at the Social Welfare Office in Killorglin for which he was charged with criminal damage. At the time he was living at 38 West Caravan Park in Killorglin.

Mr Coffey called to the garda station to tell them that there has been an incident in the social welfare office in Killorglin and he had broken the hatch windows.

Solicitor Paul O’Donoghue told the court that Mr Coffey had been living in a caravan park in Killorglin at the time and that he had been waiting 12 weeks for payment and was “frustrated and desperate”. The damage was €75 and he had told the gardaí himself.

He was convicted and fined €200 for the offence.