Carrying a knife in the early hours of the morning on the way to a fast food restaurant has resulted in another criminal conviction for a 37-year-old man.
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William Ray Kennedy of McPhillamy Avenue, Gormans Hill was before Bathurst Local Court on May 24, 2023 where he pleaded guilty to having a knife in public.
Police were patrolling Howick Street in Bathurst about 2am on April 12, 2023 when they saw a man walking next to parked cars, court documents said.
The officers stopped and spoke with the man - identified as Kennedy - who explained he was on his way to McDonald's.
Police then told Kennedy he would be searched out of suspicion, at which point he began to walk away.
The court heard Kennedy was grabbed by officers, who found a knife in one of his pants pockets.
Kennedy said to police he had the knife "for protection".
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Sentence
Aboriginal Legal Service solicitor Usman Naveed said the matter was relatively straightforward, but noted his client had "a de-escalation in offending" which had followed a number of stints behind bars.
"If Mr Kennedy wants to stay out of prison, he is not allowed to carry a knife around," Magistrate C Farnan said in response.
"The community is very concerned about people who carry knives for protection ... it's not ok."
Kennedy was placed on a community correction order for six months.
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