A man has been handed unpaid work after being caught on CCTV showing off a large knife in an Aberdeen city centre graveyard.
Jordyn Lepkowski, also known as Dylan, was spotted lifting his shirt to show others the frightening weapon stashed in his waistband.
Officers were alerted and quickly traced, detained and searched the 18-year-old, but found no sign of the blade.
However, a quick search of the area revealed the teen had hidden the knife, which had a full length of 10 inches, between two gravestones.
‘I only held it for a few seconds’
Fiscal depute Lynne MacVicar told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the incident happened shortly before 6.30pm on June 20 when police CCTV operators observed Lepkowski in St Nicholas Graveyard on Union Street.
She said: “The accused was seen to lift the right side of his top and show a large knife concealed within his waistband.
“The accused did not remove the knife however continued to show a group of friends.
“Police officers immediately attended and traced the accused.”
Lepkowski was cautioned and detained to be searched by officers, but they did not find the knife on him.
Ms MacVicar added: “Officers carried out a search of the area a short distance from where he was apprehended.
“Moments later they recovered a black knife in a sheath from between two graves.
“The knife was confirmed as being the same one observed on CCTV.
Accused wants to ‘make changes to his lifestyle’
“The total length of the knife was approximately 10 inches with a blade length of approximately six inches.”
While under caution at Kittybrewster station, Lepkowski said: “I only held it for a few seconds, it’s not even mine, it’s Connor’s.”
Lepkowski, of HMP Polmont, pled guilty to possession of a knife.
Defence agent Gail Goodfellow said her client had one previous conviction which was analogous.
She added Lepkowski had suffered “severe and significant childhood trauma and adversity”.
Mrs Goodfellow said her client had had time to “reflect” while remanded and now wished to “make changes to his lifestyle”.
Sheriff Graham Buchanan ordered Lepkowski to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and be supervised for two years as a direct alternative to detention.
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