Man is convicted of having a knife without good reason in public in Ballymena

​Stefanita Osman (37), a delivery driver of Rosses Stables in Ballymena, admitted obstructing a police officer.

He was also convicted of using a hand-held mobile phone whilst driving.

He unsuccessfully contested two of the charges at Antrim Magistrates' Court, sitting in Ballymena.

Police said they saw the defendant using a hand-held mobile phone whilst driving and when stopped he provided a false name.

A police officer said he saw a knife in the driver's door pocket.

The defendant told police the knife was for "fishing" but the officer said there was nothing else connected to fishing in the car. The knife had a blade of three and a half inches.

The court heard police then obtained the defendant's name from his wallet.

A defence barrister said the defendant said the phone was in a mobile phone holder.

The defendant told the court he had been fishing that day at Waterfoot and items including a fishing rod had been taken out of the car when he arrived home but the presence of the knife in he vehicle was forgotten about.

The defence barrister said there was no evidence the defendant had the knife for an "ulterior motive".

District Judge Nigel Broderick said it was a "bit unusual" that if the defendant had been fishing the only thing in the car was a knife.

Convicting the defendant of the two charges which had been denied, the judge said "I don't believe" the defendant's account and said "his explanation about the fishing I don't think stands up to any degree of scrutiny".

The judge said police had given "credible, reliable, evidence" about the mobile phone.

The defendant, who the court heard is originally from Romania, was given six penalty points and was fined £600.