Leslie William Bunker in court for possessing knife in public

When a passer-by saw a man using a “large knife” to cut a plastic bottle near a school they called the police.

Leslie William Bunker pleaded guilty to possessing a knife in a public place when he faced Maryborough Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

A man has been fined for having a “large knife” near a school in Maryborough.

Leslie William Bunker pleaded guilty to possessing a knife in a public place when he faced Maryborough Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The court heard on August 10, 2023, Bunker was near a park in Granville when he pulled out a large knife.

A person witnessed him take out the knife, which he was using to cut a plastic bottle.

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Police were called as Bunker was close to a Granville primary school, the court heard.

When officers arrived they saw Bunker using the knife in public view.

He said he was using the knife to cut the water bottle earlier.

The knife was seized by the officers. There was no suggestion he was going to use the knife for any other purpose.

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Duty lawyer Warren Hunter said Bunker was homeless at the time and carried a knife around for cutting food.

On that occasion he was chopping ice, he said.

“There’s no sinister purpose alleged,” Mr Hunter said.

Magistrate Stephen Gutteridge agreed there was no sinister purpose to the knife, which was being used for “living purposes”.

Bunker was fined $100 and the knife was forfeited to the state.

A conviction was recorded.