Rhys Murphy (20), of Drumcairn Park, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to possessing a knife in the early hours of 4 May 2025, an offence under section 9 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act.

Tallaght District Court heard that gardaí were flagged down at around 2.30am at Glenview Park by the driver of a Ford Focus, whose occupants said they were being chased by a silver Mercedes.

A garda then saw a knife being thrown from the rear passenger window and identified Murphy as the person who discarded it. The court heard that the defendant made no reasonable explanation for having it.

Gardaí recovered the knife – about six inches long – and produced it in court.

Judge Patricia McNamara examined the weapon and commented; “It’s not a very nice-looking knife, is it?”

The court heard Murphy denied ownership and had been sitting in the back seat of the vehicle, not driving.

Defence solicitor Michael Hennessy said Murphy had been “getting a lift from the other two fellas” after a night out when the knife was suddenly handed to him, and that he reacted instinctively by throwing it out the window.

He said Murphy had spent three weeks in hospital earlier this year, had since received a diagnosis, and felt he had been taken advantage of.

Murphy previously trained in electrical work and members of his family attended court to support him. Counsel described him as a “very pleasant young man”.

Judge McNamara told Murphy that he appeared pleasant, but he was also naive and vulnerable to negative peer pressure. She warned: “If you have a knife, you’re more likely to use it”.

The court heard Murphy has previous convictions for traffic matters and theft, but none for weapons.

He was remanded on continuing bail to 16 January, when he will appear again before Tallaght District Court to engage voluntarily with the Restorative Justice Programme.

Judge McNamara told him to stay out of trouble in the meantime, adding: “We’ll see how you’re getting on then.”

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.