AN Enniskillen man seen carrying a machete has been given one last chance to co-operate with probation.
At Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Monday, 24-year-old Brooklyn McManus of Kilmacormick Road was allowed time to engage with probation before sentencing.
On July 5, police were contacted by a children’s home after one of the children reported seeing a man carrying a machete in his trousers on Cornagrade Road.
Later that day, McManus’s partner informed the police that he had entered an abandoned property with the weapon.
Police located the defendant and found a black machete concealed in clothing.
At interview, McManus denied the allegation of possessing the knife and said he was at the abandoned property to ‘think about deceased friends’.
Defence solicitor Gary Black told the court that McManus later admitted having the blade but said he didn’t intend to use it for harm or to panic anyone.
Mr Black said that the incident occurred on the anniversary of his friend’s death and the defendant suffered from addiction issues.
In the pre-sentence report it was noted that McManus missed four community addictions appointments and two probation appointments.
However, Mr Black said that the defendant had moved to two different bail addresses, which correspondence of appointments may have been sent to.
He added that McManus missed one probation appointment due to illness and had been told the wrong date on the second occasion.
Deputy district judge Sean O’Hare said that the offences were ‘serious and frightening’, but allowed extra time for McManus to complete his probation appointments.
However, he warned McManus to take the opportunity to engage or face returning to the cycle of being arrested and brought back before the court.
The case will return to Enniskillen Magistrates court on January 22 for a full pre-sentence report.
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