behind bars Dad who was jailed after being caught carrying knife thought his life was in danger

A REPEAT offender caught carrying a kitchen knife in the waistband of his trousers on a street believed his life was under threat at the time.

Jonathan Cummins (34) had been released from prison seven months before the incident in Dublin city centre.

Judge Bryan Smyth jailed him for six months.

Cummins, of Tubberclaire Meadows, Navan, Co Meath, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a weapon.

Dublin District Court heard gardaí stopped the father-of-one on Capel Street in the early hours last August 8.

They searched him and found he had a large kitchen knife in the waistband of his trousers.

Convictions

Cummins was cooperative with the gardaí, who did not dispute that he believed his life was under threat at the time, his solicitor Niall O'Connor said.

The accused had 128 previous convictions and had spent his longest period out of custody, which was a source of some pride for him, the court heard.

He had been released last January.

His record included 14 convictions for weapons offences.

Cummins had not come to the attention of the gardaí for some time, was engaging well with the probation service and was clean of all illicit substances, Mr O'Connor said.

Judge Smyth took every- thing into account, but with the number of previous convictions for similar offences, the threshold for a prison sentence had been reached.

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Online Editors