Ryan Gregory De Rooy faces Toowoomba Magistrates Court for having a knife in public

The 33-year-old was found carrying a knife in public but his lawyer said there was an innocent explanation. See what that was.

A 33-year-old man with a serious past criminal history was “a bit of a comeback story”, his lawyer told Toowoomba Magistrates Court.

Solicitor Chelsea Saldumbide told the court Ryan Gregory De Rooy had dabbled with methamphetamine use from the age of 18, leading to his past offending.

However, after his partner broke up with him and denied him access to his children because of his behaviour, De Rooy about three years ago had changed his ways and had been clean of drugs for that time, she said.

He had rehabilitated himself to the point his ex-partner now allowed him to spend time with their children, she said.

Despite his days of drug use, her client had always maintained work as a bricklayer and he was now working as a FIFO worker on a Moranbah worksite, Ms Saldumbide said.

De Rooy was in court on a charge of possessing a knife in public arising from an incident outside Tatts Hotel about 12.30am, New Year’s Day.

Police prosecutor Bettina Trenear told the court police had detained a drunk De Rooy outside the hotel and before taking him to the police vehicle conducted a patdown search during which a knife was found.

“S--t, I forgot about that,” De Rooy had told police, telling officers he had picked it up off the dance floor earlier, she said.

Ms Saldumbide explained that bar staff at the hotel had been using the knife to cut up limes for drinks and the knife had fallen off the bar and onto the nearby dancefloor from where her client picked it up.

“He picked it up instead of putting it back on the bar,” she submitted.

Magistrate Kay Ryan told De Rooy he was to be congratulated on his efforts to rehabilitate himself but that carrying knives was a serious problem in the community these days.

She fined De Rooy $300 and ordered the knife be forfeited to the crown for destruction.

“The barman will have to get another knife to cut up the limes,” Ms Ryan said.

Originally published as Ryan Gregory De Rooy faces Toowoomba Magistrates Court for having a knife in public