A DISTRICT court judge said she didn’t believe a ‘cock and bull story’ about a man picking up two hitchhikers late at night and then being caught with a ‘ferocious looking’ knife which he claimed was for his own protection.

Judge Joanne Carroll made the comment when dealing with the case of Jakub Walendzik at Bandon District Court last week.

Mr Walendzik of 68 Rathowen, Fermoy pleaded guilty to the possession of a knife after gardaí followed him when he tried to avoid a checkpoint in Innishannon.

Sgt Eimear O’Connell told the judge that at 11.50pm on June 4th last, gardaí were operating an MIT (Mandatory Intoxication Testing) checkpoint at Laherfineen, Innishannon when they saw a van driven by the accused avoid it.

‘Gardaí followed the van and it came to a stop. There were three men on board and Gda O’Donoghue spoke to the accused, who was the driver of the car. There was a strong smell of cannabis coming from inside and he carried out a search of the van as a result,’ said Sgt O’Connell.

‘Mr Walendzik pulled out a knife two inches in length from his left pants pocket and said he had it for his own protection.’

The court heard that he has no previous convictions and there were no other charges arising from the incident.

Judge Carroll queried why the accused would need a knife for his protection at that hour of the night, while defence solicitor Plunkett Taaffe said that’s what his client said to gardaí on the night.

Mr Taaffe said his client, who has been living in Ireland for 20 years, currently works as a courier but had previously ran his own business which had gone into insolvency.

‘He was coming from Cork city to Clonakilty when he picked up two hitchhikers in Bishopstown and they persuaded him to avoid the checkpoint. He did impulsively but then stopped once gardaí followed him. He didn’t know what he was saying, and was digging a hole for himself and said the knife was for his own protection,’ said Mr Taaffe.

However, Judge Carroll also asked who would pick up people hitchhiking in pitch black at 11.50pm at night, and pointed out the accused had a ‘ferocious looking knife’ in his possession.

‘I take a very poor view of someone not stopping at a garda checkpoint as well as the cock and bull story of picking up two hitchhikers,’ said Judge Carroll.

She sentenced him to three months in prison but suspended it for 18 months.