Father-to-be jailed over sword incident

An expectant father 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 (aged 26) of Neagh Road, Terenure, Dublin, 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 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 Ms Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, that he was called to the scene after residents saw the incident.

He saw Sweeney grab a samurai sword and run off. He gave chase and witnessed the accused throw the weapon over the railings of a public park before he jumped over the fencing.

A garda helicopter was called in to assist and Sweeney was soon spotted crouching by a wall in the park. The sword was recovered minutes later.

Gda Quinn agreed with Mr Shane Costelloe BL, defending, that Sweeney had injuries on his hand consistent with holding a sword and he was later treated in hospital for those wounds.

A medical report before the court stated that Sweeney told staff there that he had been assaulted with a sword.

Gda 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 16, 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 the 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 Judge Delahunt 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 it in but they had difficulty because there was a lock on the steering wheel.

Mr Costelloe told the court that his client "had stupidly run away with the sword in his hand" when gardaí arrived but asked Judge Delahunt to accept that Sweeney had not threatened the gardaí with the weapon.

He said Sweeney was living in his parents' home with his pregnant girlfriend. He was the captain of a local sports team and had completed a course to work as a community leader but could not find any jobs in that area.

He has since set up his own business installing vending machines.