Townsville man busted riding bicycle with samurai sword
Police searched the man for drugs but found something a little sharper.
Townsville
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A TOWNSVILLE man’s late-night bicycle ride from the pub has landed him in court after police busted him carrying a samurai sword in his backpack.
Kevin John Bennet, 44, was searched by police on April 14 when they were suspicious he was carrying drugs.
He pleaded guilty to one charge of possessing a knife in a public place in the Townsville Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
The court heard he was riding home from the Sun Hotel at 11.45pm when police searched him and found the 40cm sword.
Police prosecutor Acting Senior Sergeant John Moran said Bennet told police he had “owned it for years” and recently retrieved it from a friend.
Bennet’s lawyer Michael Spearman said it was a “complete and utter waste of the court’s time” pursuing the charge.
Mr Spearman said there were no drugs found in Bennet’s possession and questioned what suspicion police had he was carrying any.
In sentencing, Magistrate Ken Taylor described the sword as “reasonable size” and fined Bennet $300, referred to SPER.
A conviction was not recorded.
Originally published as Townsville man busted riding bicycle with samurai sword
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