Stopped by Dundalk gardai with pair of scissors in his pocket

A 44 year old student of engineering technology found in possession of a pair of scissors in his pocket, when he was searched by gardai, had put them there after taking them off his children the previous night, Dundalk district court was told last week.

The court heard Hussein Lwanga of Johns Court, Dundalk – who had 29 previous convictions, was intoxicated when he was stopped by gardai responding to a report of a person carrying a knife on the Castletown Road, on December 15th last year.

His solicitor told the court Mr Lwanga is a native of Uganda, who had come to Ireland 17 years ago and had spent 11 of them in direct provision, during which time he “became unduly friendly with alcohol”.

Judge Miriam Walsh imposed a €150 fine for being intoxicated in a public place and a three month suspended sentence for possessing an item with a sharpened blade.