A MAN has been jailed for nine months for possession of a samurai sword which he claimed he had just “yanked” from a group of youths after they threatened him with it.
Michael Sweeney (26) of Neagh Road, Terenure, told gardaí that he had just witnessed a gang of teenagers trying to drive off in his car. He chased after them and they fled the scene, he said. He was walking with friends 15 minutes later when he was approached by the group, one of whom was carrying the sword.
Garda Rodger Quinn told Fiona McGowan, prosecuting, that he was called to the scene by residents. He saw Sweeney grab a samurai sword and run off, and witnessed him throw the weapon over the railings of a public park before he jumped over the fencing.
A Garda helicopter was called in and Sweeney was soon spotted crouching by a wall in the park. The sword was recovered minutes later.
Garda Quinn agreed with Shane Costelloe, defending, that Sweeney had injuries on his hand consistent with holding a sword and he was later treated in hospital for those wounds.
Garda Quinn accepted that Sweeney had told gardaí that he had been threatened with a sword but said that the accused never made a complaint to gardaí about the incident or the attempted theft of his car, nor were there any witness statements in the case to support his version of events.
Sweeney pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the sword on Rutland Avenue, in Crumlin, on October 16th, 2005. He had previous convictions for road traffic offences and burglary.
Judge Katherine Delahunt said that Sweeney’s explanation was “quite simply implausible” after she noted that there were others present who did not make a statement to gardaí nor did he present a receipt for the damage he claimed had been done to his car.
She also noted that he had tried to evade arresting gardaí and said that “save for a firearm this is the most dangerous weapon on our streets”.
Mr Costelloe told the judge that his client had been drinking that night and did not want to drive.
He returned to the vehicle when he saw the group of youths getting into the car and trying to drive off but they had difficulty because there was a lock on the steering wheel.
Mr Costelloe said his client “had stupidly run away with the sword in his hand” when gardaí arrived but asked the judge to accept that Sweeney had not threatened gardaí with the weapon.