Homeless man’s knife ‘was his can opener’

Nov 20 2008

POLICE found a homeless man with a lock-knife in the common close of a block of flats in Hamilton.

Officers arrested Patrick O’Rourke in Burnbank on December 27 last year after being contacted by a member of the public.

O’Rourke (43) admitted, when he appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Monday, a charge of carrying a knife .

His not guilty plea to a charge of failing to appear for sheriff and jury proceedings in June this year was accepted by the Crown.

Fiscal-depute Julie Cameron told the court that O’Rourke’s criminal record included similar charges to those he now faced.

She explained that police received a report around 9.15pm on December 27 last year that someone was in the common close at George Court.

Officers went to the scene and found the accused there. They spoke to O’Rourke, obtained his details and searched him.

He had been carrying a ruck sack and inside one of its pockets was a locking knife with a mountaineering-style ring with spring-clip.

Officers told O’Rourke it was a prohibited weapon and he was taken to Hamilton Police Office where he was cautioned and charged.

O’Rourke’s agent Stephen McBride told Sheriff Rae Small that his client had been homeless at the time of the offence.

“Within his ruck sack were clothes and foodstuffs - all his goods and possessions.

“That item was being used by him to open tins of foodstuffs.”

He also pointed out that O’Rourke had now obtained a permanent address.

Sheriff Small deferred sentence on O’Rourke, of Mill Road, Fairhill, for a range of reports until December 23 and continued bail.