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Aug 04, 2023

Alexandria man admits possession of knife in broad daylight

AN Alexandria man threw away a knife from a bag of tools because he knew it was a crime and he was already well known to the justice system. Stephen Brown, of O'Hare, Bonhill, was searched by cops but

AN Alexandria man threw away a knife from a bag of tools because he knew it was a crime and he was already well known to the justice system.

Stephen Brown, of O'Hare, Bonhill, was searched by cops but nothing was initially found.

But officers then saw him throw an item away and discovered the knife.

At Dumbarton Sheriff Court on August 29, Brown pleaded guilty to having a knife in O'Hare and elsewhere to having a weapon in a public place.

The 39-year-old pleaded not guilty to looking over a fence in Braehead, repeatedly shouting and swearing towards a woman while in possession of a chainsaw. The Crown accepted that not guilty plea.

Fiscal depute Tiffany Chisholm told the court that around 1.55pm on April 15, 2022, Brown was seen by two police officers and they had cause to activate the blue lights on their vehicle.

Cops stopped their vehicle and detained Brown.

He was noted to be agitated but the initial search was negative.

But Brown was then seen to discard an item, and a black lock-back knife was found.

When police arrested Brown, he replied: "For what? I've not done nothing."

Brown's own defence solicitor accepted his client had a long enough record that Sheriff Maxwell Hendry could move straight to sentencing. But he argued there had been a "reasonable gap" in offending, that he was working full-time driving a digger, and was attending college.

He said Brown had a variety of tools in his car, but the knife was not work-related.

Defence solicitor Scott Adair said his client knew enough to know he should not have the knife.

"It had been in the tool bag," he said. "He knew the difficulties it would cause him so he discarded it."

Sheriff Hendry said: "So the knife was in the tool bag, he went into the tool bag and discarded it because he knew he shouldn't have it?"

The crown confirmed police searched his vehicle and found two bags of tools, including a claw hammer and chisels.

Sheriff Hendry said "every option" remained open to him for sentencing and deferred the case to September 27 for social work reports.

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