When gardaí tried to clear the scene of an altercation in Carlow, one young man wound up getting arrested for failing to leave the scene.
Garda Liam Lawlor told this week’s sitting of Carlow District Court that on April 13 last, at around 2.20am, he was trying to clear the scene of altercation on Cox’s Lane. “I managed to clear everyone except Pawel Szalach (19 ) and his friends. They had not been involved in the altercation. But when I asked Mr Szalach to leave he refused. He had too much drink taken. I asked him repeatedly to leave and he refused on three separate occasions. I was left with no option but to arrest him,” said Gda Lawlor.
In the Carlow Garda Station, Mr Szalach was searched.
“I found a (retractable knife ) concealed in his jacket. When I asked him about it, he said ‘I’m nervous that’s why I have it. I need it where I live,’ I have to say he did not produce this knife in a public place,” said Gda Lawlor.
Defending solicitor Brendan O Flaherty said his client, who had been in Ireland for only two years and has very poor English. “did not leave because he was looking for his lost mobile phone, he did not produce the knife in public,” he said.
“He shouldn’t be carrying it. If it’s not for your work or you are not a fisherman on the way to fish with it in your bag, there is a strict law against carrying a weapon,” said Judge Harnett. “It’s simply because it can be used against you or by you,” he added before fining Mr Szalach a total of €720.
