Chef caught with hatchet and cannabis after argument outside Barrow pub
A 24-year-old chef who was found with a hatchet hidden in the waistband of his trousers following an argument outside a Barrow pub has avoided an immediate prison sentence.
Martin Ryan admitted possessing a sharply pointed article in a public place and possessing cannabis when he appeared at South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court on June 16.
The offences happened during the early hours of May 1 outside The Knights Bar and Club in Barrow.
Magistrates sentenced Ryan to eight weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months. He was also ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and pay £85 in court costs and a £154 victim surcharge.
Door staff alerted police
Prosecutor Lee Dacre told the court that door staff at the venue contacted police after receiving reports that a man was concealing a weapon in his waistband.
When officers arrived, Ryan was involved in an argument with another man.
Police placed him in handcuffs before conducting a search. Officers discovered a hatchet hidden in his clothing, along with five vacuum-sealed bags of cannabis.
Ryan’s address was listed in court as The Lakeside Hotel in Newby Bridge, where he worked as a chef.
The court heard that Ryan had no previous convictions.
Hatchet had been purchased earlier that day
Defending Ryan, solicitor Michael Graham said his client had bought the hatchet in Windermere during his day off.
The court was told Ryan had a hobby of chopping wood behind his workplace and had planned to take the tool back to his accommodation at the hotel.
However, he later met another chef and ended up outside the Barrow venue while still carrying the hatchet.
Mr Graham said Ryan placed the tool down the front of his trousers and covered it with his jumper.
He told magistrates that the hatchet was never taken out or brandished during the argument and was not being carried for use as a weapon.
The defence added that Ryan was trying to build a career as a chef and hoped to gain more experience in the industry.
Prison sentence suspended
A pre-sentence report was prepared by the Probation Service before magistrates decided Ryan’s punishment.
The report said Ryan used a small amount of cannabis each day to help manage anxiety.
Magistrates were also told that sending him immediately to prison would probably result in him losing both his employment and his accommodation.
The court decided to suspend the eight-week prison sentence for 12 months. This means Ryan will not serve the sentence unless he commits another offence or breaks the terms of the order during that period.
Alongside the suspended sentence and unpaid work requirement, magistrates ordered that the cannabis should be forfeited and destroyed. The hatchet was also taken away from Ryan.
