Man brings machetes and a knife to row

A 22-year-old man who went home to get two machetes and a knife after losing his temper during an argument in a pub, has been sentenced to four months imprisonment.

Mickey Cummins, 80 Lios Dubh, Armagh Road, pleaded guilty to three charges arising from what occurred on 16 September last.

He admitted having a machete with a 10-inch blade in Linenhall Street to intimidate following an earlier altercation in Mag Ally’s Bar, Bridge Street, and two other similar offences in relation to a machete with an 8-inch blade and a knife with a two-inch blade.

The court heard the DPP had directed the matter be dealt with summarily in the district court on a guilty plea only.

Sgt Fintan McGroder gave evidence that at 5pm gardaí received a call that a male armed with knives was trying to get into Mag Ally’s Bar.

In Linenhall Street officers saw a man on the road ‘attempting to engage’ with a lorry driver. He held a knife in his left hand which he dropped.

This person, the accused, had two machetes concealed in his tracksuit bottoms. He was intoxicated at the time.

Pictures of the machetes were handed into court.

There are nine previous convictions.

Solicitor Peter Lavery said it was his client’s intention to scare people he had been arguing with in the pub.

Cummins had lost his temper, and had gone home to get the knives. He was not let back into the pub.

He shouldn’t have behaved the way he did. He had no intention to do any harm.

Mr Lavery added the defendant made full admissions and co-operated. He had been in custody on these matters since 17 September. He didn’t seek bail and had indicated a guilty plea.

Cummins did not have a good record.

Judge McKiernan noted he had served a substantial sentence before and didn’t seem to have learned anything from his time in custody.

She imposed a four-month sentence on the knife charge, back-fated to 17 September. The other charges were taken into consideration.