Blind woman jailed for knife offence in Fife high street

 

A blind woman has been jailed for being in possession of two knives while drunk in a Fife town centre.

Lorna Jamieson (48) was described as “vulnerable” but a sheriff said the public would not tolerate people carrying knives in public.

He also pointed out that Jamieson, from Cowdenbeath, had eleven previous convictions for similar offences.

Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard that Jamieson was “an extremely drunken state” after attending a local gala.

A passer-by became after seeing a person with their hood up, slumped in a shop doorway and scraping a long knife on the ground.

It was only after he had phoned the police that he realised it was Jamieson, someone he knew.

Jamieson, of Wemyss Street, admitted that on 25th August at High Street, Cowdenbeath, she was unlawfully in possession of two knives.

Wearing dark glasses, she was helped into the dock by her sister.

Depute fiscal Sarah Lumsden told the court a man saw a figure with their hood up in Cowdenbeath High Street, at 11.05pm carrying a bottle of Jack Daniel’s.

Later, after going to a hot food take away, the witness came across the same person slumped in doorway of Bayne’s the Baker.

There was a scraping noise and the man saw that the person outside the shop had a long knife. He initially thought it was a male and called 999.

He went to speak to the person to see if they were okay and at that point he recognised Jamieson and knew her to be blind.

When police arrived at the scene they discovered Jamieson was also in possession of a second knife.

Defence solicitor Ian Beatson said, “She has a personality disorder and was taking medication which had stopped her offending.

“This medication had stopped working at this time. She’d been drinking alcohol which she doesn’t normally do. Her sister is her carer.”

Sheriff Charles MacNair counted that Jamieson had 11 previous convictions for carrying weapons in public.

“She’s got no explanation for this offence?” he asked.

Mr Beatson replied, “No explanation whatsoever. She’d been at some sort of local gala event that day. It appears to have been an unfortunate incident.”

However, the sheriff responded, “I’m sorry but you only have to read the newspapers to find out that carrying knives can never just be described as an unfortunate incident.

“You only have to look at the people who have been killed over the last few days.

“Society will not tolerate people carrying knives in public.”

“She was in an extremely drunken state and we don’t know why she had the knives,” said Mr Beatson. “She’s blind and she’s vulnerable.”

Sheriff MacNair told Jamieson, “You have the most appalling record of carrying knives and other weapons.” He jailed her for nine months.

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