Jail for Carlow man who showed ‘no remorse’ after being caught with knives
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A CARLOW man who showed ‘no remorse’ after being convicted of possessing two knives by a jury last November was sentenced to 18 months in prison by Judge Eugene O’Kelly at a recent sitting of Carlow Circuit Court.
Gardaí on mobile patrol in an unmarked vehicle observed what appeared to be a potentially violent situation unfolding between William Delaney (40) of 13 Phelim Crescent, Station Road, Carlow and co-accused Brendan Keating (31) of New Oak Estate on the afternoon of 15 August 2024 at New Oak Estate.
Det Garda John Moulton of Carlow Garda Station said he observed Mr Delaney aggressively running towards a co-accused with a knife in each hand and Mr Keating with a slash hook in his possession. Both men attempted to discard their weapons when they saw the gardaí, with Mr Delaney throwing the knives in a bush and Mr Keating hiding the slash hook behind a wall.
Mr Delaney then said “you didn’t find them on me” when it was put to him by Garda Moulton that he had knives in his possession. He described the defendant as “unco-operative” upon arrest and said he had to be handcuffed.
When gardaí retrieved the weapons from the bush, they saw that the blades of the knife were concealed by a makeshift sheath of paper and masking tape. Judge O’Kelly said one of the blades was approximately 10cm long.
While his arrest was being processed at Carlow Garda Station, the defendant said: “Sure what would you do if a petrol bomb was thrown at your house with your kids in it?” Garda Moulton understood that to be an explanation of the altercation.
A separate investigation into a petrol bomb attack was undertaken by gardaí. The defendant was not interviewed about the incident.
Mr Keating pleaded guilty to possessing the slash hook and received a suspended sentence at a separate court hearing.
A majority jury verdict found Mr Delaney guilty on two counts of possessing a dangerous instrument, but not guilty of a public order offence on 12 November 2025.
Garda Moulton agreed with defence barrister Tara Geoghegan BL that he was satisfied that the acrimony between the two men had been settled.
He outlined that Mr Delaney has 27 previous convictions, mostly for road traffic offences, with a recent conviction for being intoxicated in a public place in 2023. After conducting a short enquiry, he told the court that Mr Delaney was, in fact, on bail at the time he committed the offence and continues to be on bail for a charge dating back to 3 March 2024. It is alleged that the defendant supplied drugs to Cloverhill Prison and the case is due before Blanchardstown District Court in October.
Mr Delaney was further convicted in January of a charge from July 2024 for possessing €10 worth of drugs, which he claimed were for his personal use after a family tragedy.
Ms Geoghegan asked the court to consider the fact that these previous and subsequent convictions were not “violent crime”. She handed in a letter from the defendant’s sister, which outlined how she relied on her brother for emotional support while undergoing treatment for cancer, and a letter from a kickboxing club where Mr Delaney acts as a coach, which described him as ‘very responsible’ and ‘patient’.
She further noted her client lives with his elderly mother and cares for her.
Ms Geoghegan pointed out to the court that her client’s bail conditions had been made more lenient to allow him to resume full-time work.
A report by the probation services assessed Mr Delaney as at high risk of reoffending in the next 12 months due to his previous convictions. Alcohol and substance misuse, negative peer association, limited education and inconsistency in employment were considered risk factors. The report further noted his ‘difficult childhood’ and the fact that he has several children who do not reside with him.
Judge O’Kelly took issue with Ms Geoghegan’s characterisation of the defence, noting that the probation report set out at the beginning that Mr Delaney does not accept the jury’s verdict and is “washing his hands completely of it”.
“He is basically saying the gardaí are mistaken or telling lies. He’s either looking for leniency or he’s not looking for leniency,” noted the judge.
“He is acknowledging and respecting the court process,” said Ms Geoghegan. “At least the court can take some comfort that it isn’t an ongoing situation, judge.”
“Yes,” the judge replied.
Judge O’Kelly further put it to Ms Geoghegan that it would have been better to secure a character reference from the defendant’s employer rather than a kickboxing club.
He said the offences fell in the mid-range in terms of gravity and that an aggravating factor was that the defendant was on bail at the time of committing the offence. The judge set a headline sentence of three years’ imprisonment and reduced it by six months on account of the mitigating circumstances.
“What is more concerning is that there is a denial that he had possession of the knives, despite being seen effectively red-handed by the detecting gardaí,” Judge O’Kelly said. He regretted that the defendant had not pleaded guilty, which he suggested could have been the biggest mitigating factor.
“In circumstances where a man is not accepting of a jury verdict and is showing no remorse, it’s very hard to see how any part of the sentence can be suspended,” he said.
However, conscious of the defendant’s sister’s ill health, he decided to suspend the final year of the sentence for a period of one year on the condition that Mr Delaney engage with the probation services. The defendant entered a €100 bond and was led away by prison officers.
