Man was carrying iron bar in Tullow town ‘for protection’
A MAN who was found walking through Tullow town in the early hours carrying a metre-long iron bar told gardaí he was carrying it “for protection” as “there are people trying to fight me”. Kaspars Ruditis was convicted and sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 12 months, at Carlow District Court last week.
The court heard that on 19 September 2025 at 12.45am, Garda Moulton was notified by a member of the public that several men were walking around Tullow town carrying iron bars.
At 1.10am, Garda Moulton observed Mr Ruditis, who resides at an apartment at Slaney View, Tullowbeg, Tullow, holding a large iron bar approximately one metre in length. He was cautioned and arrested and the iron bar was seized.
The 36-year-old defendant told Garda Moulton: “I’m just carrying this for protection; there are people trying to fight me.”
The court heard that Mr Ruditis had seven previous convictions, including three for burglary, two for road traffic offences and one for criminal damage. His most recent conviction was in 2021 at Carlow District Court for not having motor insurance, for which he was disqualified from driving for two years.
In mitigation, solicitor Joe Farrell said the iron bar “wasn’t adapted in any way”. He acknowledged that an iron bar could cause injury, but told the court that his client acted on “misguided loyalty to friends”.
“There seems to have been something going on in Tullow” that day, he added, stating that Mr Ruditis “might have been in a certain condition on the day; he might have been emotional”.
Mr Farrell noted that his client had previous convictions, but “not anything for section 9”, referring to section 9(5) of the that deals with producing an article such as an iron bar in a manner likely to intimidate or cause injury.
He said Mr Ruditis, who was accompanied by his partner to court, had three school-going children.
Judge Geraldine Carthy said that the facts before the court were “quite stark” regarding “carrying a large iron bar for his protection.”
“There is no doubt about it,” she said, that the iron bar “used in any fashion could cause injury,” adding that it was “a serious offence”.
She convicted and sentenced the defendant to an eight-month prison term, suspended for 12 months.
