A young man is facing custody after he admitted drunkenly stumbling around a Perthshire street while waving what has been described as “a commando knife.”
Zac Farquhar (23) was heavily under the influence of alcohol when he was spotted by concerned residents in Blairgowrie High Street early on November 6.
Perth Sheriff Court heard the unexplained incident was just the latest for a man in danger of “destroying his life” as a result of his problem with alcohol.
Police detained and searched Farquhar, who admitted that he was in possession of a blade. The 6 -inch knife seen by witnesses was found tucked into the accused’s belt.
Depute fiscal Robbie Brown told the court the weapon had been described initially as “a kitchen knife” but said it did not look like something so commonplace.
“It appears to have a camouflage handle and looks perhaps more like what I would describe as a commando knife,” he said.
Though his client admitted the offence, solicitor Andy Lyall said he had “little or no useful recollection of events” and did not know how he had come by the knife.
Mr Lyall said, “It did not belong to him and he does not know why he kept hold of it.
“He was not involved in any disagreement with anyone that may have occasioned him to have it.
“He was simply drunk to the extent that he did not have the good sense to dispose of the knife.”
He added, “He has since had the insight to recognise that he has a problem with alcohol.
“It has been destroying his life in effect, but he has now taken steps to overcome this problem.”
The agent told the court his client has remained out of trouble and was now in the process of gaining full-time employment.
He asked that the court consider giving his client a chance to prove he could turn his life around by imposing an alternative to imprisonment.
However Sheriff Robert McCreadie warned Farquhar, of Scrimgeour Place, Dundee, that he should be under no illusions that he faces anything other than a first prison sentence.
He said, “Custody is not a necessary sentence, but it is the most common for this type of offence, no matter that you have no analogous previous conviction.
“I have heard nothing that would make me think that custody is not appropriate for someone in such a drunken state while in possession of a blade such as that described.”
Nonetheless he deferred sentence on Farquhar until July 28 for the preparation of a social work report.