A man caught with two knives at a Dundee supermarket told police he had them because the city “is a dangerous place”.
Oktawiusz Burblis, 29, of Chalk Hill Court in Whitfield, was stopped by security staff and found to have a blade hidden in his sock.
A subsequent search of his car revealed a nine-inch, double-edged lock knife.
When asked about the knives, Burblis claimed he had the weapons for “self-defence”.
At Dundee Sheriff Court, he admitted that he possessed a blade and a lock knife at Tesco, Riverside Drive, on January 11.
Fiscal depute Charmaine Gilmartin told the court Burblis was in the store and security staff had reason to speak to him and asked him to accompany them to an office.
While there, he was seen to place something in his right sock, she said.
“Police arrived and he was asked if he had anything sharp in his possession, to which he replied ‘No’,” said Ms Gilmartin.
“The accused was searched and a blade was found within his right sock.
“He was immediately cautioned and asked why he had the blade.
“The accused replied ‘For self-defence’.
“The accused was also in possession of a Ford car key and told officers that he had a car in the car park.
“The car was searched and a police officer recovered a lock knife under the driver’s seat.
“The accused was asked why he had the knife and he replied ‘Dundee is a dangerous place’.”
The fiscal said the lock knife was double-ended, had two serrated-edged blades and was approximately nine inches in length, with each blade about 2.5in long.
She said the weapon in Burblis’s sock had a plastic handle and blade, both about one inch long.
Solicitor Anika Jethwa told Sheriff Alastair Brown that since Burblis was currently on a community payback order he would require background reports before he was able to pass sentence.
Sheriff Brown deferred sentence for a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty order assessment until September 17.
He allowed Burblis’s bail order to continue meantime.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Telegraph website. For more information, read about our new combined website.