Suspended jail term for man who pulled large knife out of rucksack at Antrim Area Hospital

Damien Edward Moore (32), with an address listed as Antrim Road in Belfast, admitted charges of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and possession of cannabis in relation to September 9, 2022.

The defendant was at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, on Tuesday, April 25.

A prosecutor said in September 2022 the defendant had been the "victim of an assault" in Belfast and police had taken him to Antrim Hospital.

The prosecutor added: "Whilst in hospital he produced a large black kitchen knife from his rucksack."

She continued: "He said he had brought it with him to show the police the type of weapon that had been used on him in the previous incident."

Police ordered him to hand over the knife and whilst doing so a "small bag" of cannabis fell out of his bag.

A defence lawyer said a pre-sentence report showed the defendant had been "attacked" on a number of occasions over the years.

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At the hospital Moore was "not saying it was the knife that he was attacked with," the lawyer added. The court heard the defendant had a previous record.

Deputy District Judge Chris Holmes handed down a four months jail term, suspended for three years, and also fined the defendant £100.

He told Moore: "I appreciate there are aspects of you being a victim in relation to knives in this case. That does not mean you can normalise the use of a knife or carry a knife about and if you are found in possession of a knife in public in the next three years you are certainly going to jail".