A man has been jailed after being caught carrying a knife at a Co-op.
Josh McLaren was “heavily impaired” when he visited the store in Church Street, Inverness, and was seen staggering into displays.
Police who were called to the scene searched the 22-year-old and found a three-inch locking knife in his trouser pocket – which McLaren told them he had forgotten was there.
McLaren appeared via videolink from custody to admit a single charge of possessing the knife in a public place without reasonable excuse or lawful authority.
Fiscal depute Susan Love said the incident took place on November 29 of last year.
She said: “At 2.30pm police attended at Co-op Church Street Inverness.
“The accused was observed to be heavily impaired, talking into his phone and staggering into displays.”
‘I forgot I had that’
Speaking to the officers following the knife discovery, McLaren said: “I forgot I had that.”
Defence solicitor Clare Russell said her client had been working in construction at the time of the incident but on the day in question had been sent home from work due to his presentation.
She said: “He had the knife from work in his back pocket. He forgot he had it there. He accepts that that is not a reasonable excuse.”
‘Knife crime is a serious matter’
Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald told McLaren: “Knife crime is a serious matter, possessing a knife in a public place is a serious matter.
“If you were in any doubt about that before you should be in no doubt about it now – you have been remanded for a significant period of time.
“People are sent to jail for possessing a knife in a public place and that is what is going to happen to you now.”
McLaren, whose address was given as HMP Inverness, was jailed for eight months, backdated to November 30 of last year.
Sheriff MacDonald added: “If you were older than 25 the period of imprisonment would have been significantly longer.”
