A 22-YEAR-OLD man caught with a knuckle-duster when walking in a gang on a Runcorn estate said he carried the weapon as he thought it was ‘cool’.
Halton Magistrates Court heard on Thursday how Daryl Daniel O’Hare, of The Knoll, Runcorn, was searched by police on November 15 as he appeared 'under the influence'.
The defendant, stopped on Boston Avenue, was carrying the knuckle-duster in his pocket, said Alison Warburton, prosecuting.
O’Hare, who has a previous conviction for criminal damage, told police he had found it and forgotten it was in his pocket.
He pleaded guilty to having an offensive weapon in a public place.
Defending himself, O’Hare said: “I weren’t on drugs.
“I just had (the knuckle-duster) in my pocket.
“I thought it was cool.
“I wouldn’t have used it on anyone.
“It was a silly mistake.”
Magistrates asked for reports to be completed before sentencing was carried out.
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