A man who was caught by police in Aberdeen with a three-inch knife he thought was a letter opener has been handed unpaid work.
Hardik Shukla, 34, was sentenced yesterday at Aberdeen Sheriff Court after previously pleading guilty to possessing the knife on Rosemount Viaduct on July 10.
Fiscal depute Lynzi Souter previously told the court police officers stopped a vehicle containing a number of people at around 9.25pm for a “routine document check”.
Shukla was found to be the driver of the vehicle, which contained three people.
The court heard the vehicle was searched, with officers finding the knife, which was described as a sgian dubh.
Ms Souter added: “During the search they found a three-inch sgian dubh in a white carrier bag.”
She said Shukla indicated the knife belonged to him and took full responsibility for it.
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When cautioned by the police he replied: “I thought it was a letter opener.”
Yesterday, defence agent Marianne Milligan said: “He accepts that he had the item without reasonable excuse.
“He says he found the item in his loft and originally thought it was a letter opener.
“He got stopped by the police while it was in the car. Up until that point he didn’t realise it was an offensive weapon.”
Sheriff Ian Wallace ordered Shukla, of Oldmeldrum, to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work within six months instead of a financial penalty.
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