Resident Magistrate Liam McNally has told two young Fermanagh men that they must realise that if they get involved in disputes and then produce knifes and hammers they must know that they are going straight to prison.
Arising out of an incident in the early hours of 12th August 2006, Ian James Doogan (19) from Station Road, Letterbreen, and Colin William Robert Irvine (22), from Coleshill Crescent, were jailed for two months and four months respectively when they appeared before a recent sitting of Fermanagh Magistrates Court charged with a number of offences, including possession of offensive weapons.
The court heard that around 2.45am on 12th August last year, a crowd was gathered in the Diamond area of Enniskillen after a night out.
Members of the crowd shouted that there was a man with a knife. Irvine ran into the street waving his arms with a knife in his right hand. A police constable grabbed his hand and, at that point, realised that the defendant also had a large hammer with him.
Police then heard cries from the public that there was another man with a knife. The other defendant, Doogan, also had a knife but when police went over he was being restrained by members of the public.
Irvine was arrested and taken to Enniskillen Police Station where a four inch knife and 3lb hammer were taken from him. Doogan, who was also arrested, was charged with possession of a hammer.
An eight inch knife was handed to police by an unidentified female that same evening, and it is believed that this was carried by Doogan.
The court heard that earlier that evening, the two men had been refused entry from the Bush Bar, as they were told they were barred.
The two men left the town to get the knives and hammers. Doogan also had five tablets of a Class 'C' drug, which were for his own use.
Defending Irvine and Doogan, Ian Turkington, BL, admitted that these were very serious charges and said that both these defendants had been a danger not only to the injured parties in this case but a danger to the public.
Mr Turkington said that Irvine was 'terrified' about the prospect of prison and that he does understand the importance of his situation.
The defence barrister explained that on the night in question these two men were involved in a confrontation with a number of local bouncers and that Doogan was assaulted.
Mr Turkington acknowledged that the defendants had taken a cocktail of alcohol and diazepam.
The barrister said the men went home and came back with these weapons but it was only their intention to scare for, as Mr Turkington pointed out, there were twice the number of bouncers than them.
Since the incident neither of the two men have come to police attention and both have abstained from alcohol. "This is just something they thought up on the night."
"Young men have money in their pocket and they go out and spend it on drink," said Ian Turkington quoting 'Chippy Street' as the perfect example of this.
Sentencing, Resident Magistrate Liam McNally said the thought that being refused entry to a public house was justification for going out to the house and getting hammers and knifes was beyond belief.
For possession of a knife in a public place, Irvine was sentenced to four months in prison with sentences of two months imposed for resisting police and common assault – with these sentences to run concurrently.
For possession of a ball pein hammer in a public place, Doogan was sentenced to two months in prison and he was fined £250 for possession of Class 'C' drug diazepam. He also received a two month concurrent sentence for a common assault charge.
