Hamilton man (30) is tagged for having weapons in pub on Christmas Day

Nov 12 2009

A LARKHALL man was last week tagged for three months for having a hammer and screwdriver in a town pub on Christmas Day.

John Kerr, 140 Raploch Street, pleaded guilty to charges of possessing the offensive weapons at Allan’s bar on December 25 last year.

His pleas of not guilty to charges alleging that he committed a breach of the peace in the bar and had a knife there had been accepted by the Crown.

When 30-year-old Kerr appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court last week for sentence, Sheriff Ray Small observed that the accused’s recollection of events in a report prepared for the court did not appear to be in accordance with a narrative previously given by the Crown.

Sheriff Small said that according to the Crown, Kerr had taken the weapons into the pub, shown them to staff there and “indicated a certain intention”.

Kerr’s agent, Andy Iles, recognised there was a clear disparity between the narrative and the report.

Mr Iles recalled that the court had been told that someone had shown “ill will” towards Kerr.

He added that there was clearly more to the matter. However, his client had submitted the plea in the terms described.

The lawyer pointed out that the report was “fairly positive” about his client and although Kerr had an extensive criminal record it showed that his offending had “ground to a halt”.

Mr Iles added: “His drug problem is under control and he is on a reducing methadone programme.”

He said Kerr had harmed himself prior to the incident. However, the agent said the accused was now quite optimistic and hoped to resume a relationship with his partner.

He asked Sheriff Small to deal with the matter with a non-custodial sentence since Kerr had been well behaved for “a considerable period of time.”

Sheriff Small sentenced Kerr to a three-month restriction of liberty order, confining the accused to his home seven days a week from 7pm to 7am.