Man found 'armed to the teeth' with knives in St Helens town centre

Daniel Gacs, a Hungarian national, was stopped by police and found to be in possession of three knives and also a multi-tool, which was sharped at a corner at an alleyway on Westfield Street.

Judge Robert-Trevor Jones said at Gac’s sentencing on Friday at Liverpool Crown Court that he must give the 33-year-old an “immediate” prison sentence remarking there is “immense” public concern over people “going about with knives”.

Gacs found with four weapons

Prosecuting, Christopher Hopkins, told the court Gacs, who appeared in court via video link, was found with the weapons on the night of Wednesday, January 3, this year.

He said: “The defendant was seen at about 10.40pm on January 3 on Westfield Street in St Helens in an alleyway described as being near to a nightclub. A police officer described it as part of the wider night-time economy area in St Helens.

“The officer has cause to search the defendant and found he was in possession of the knives and a sharpened multi-tool.

“Two of the knives were lock knives and were concealed in the waistband of his trousers.

“The sharpened multi-tool was in an outer coat pocket and the third knife was a throwing knife, in a breast pocket of a Gilet worn by the defendant.”

Mr Hopkins said the throwing knife was 17 cm in length, and the others were “folded blades” and the sharpened multi-tool about 10cm in length, and attached to a metal Crucifix.

Mr Hopkins said that during a police interview after he was arrested, Gacs said “he had the items for his own protection and safety” and “told the police he had been threatened about two or three years earlier by unknown people”.

Gacs was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court

Defending Gacs, Tom Watson, said: “He says to the court, through me, that the month he has spent in custody has been the longest month of his life and he says that he has very much learned his lesson and there will be no repeat of this behaviour.”

Mr Watson said Gacs “wasn’t brandishing” the knives and “didn’t even have them on show”.

Gacs, of Vernon Street, Pocket Nook, who had no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of a knife and one of possession of an offensive weapon at the magistrates' court last month.

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Mr Watson added that Gacs’ brother, who lives in Hemel Hempstead, and was in the court’s public gallery, had filed a missing person’s report after “losing contact” with him before he found a media report about Gacs being in custody. He added his brother said Gacs, a forklift driver, “can live with him” when released.

Mr Watson asked the judge to pass a community order or to suspend any prison sentence.

However, judge Trevor-Jones said the matter “demanded immediate custody”.

Public 'immensely concerned' over people with knives

The judge said: “You were effectively armed to the teeth. The public are immensely concerned about people going about in public with knives.

“Time and time again in the media there are reports of instances where people have been severely injured, sometimes killed, and there is a perception that (this) is not properly controlled, so these are very serious offences.”

Gacs was found in possession of the weapons at an alleyway near Westfield Street (Image: Google Street View)

The judge said the starting point for one of the offences was six months, adding there were four weapons in this case and he considered 15 month an “appropriate” term, due to Gacs’ lack of previous convictions.

He reduced this by one-third due to the defendant’s guilty plea, sentencing him to concurrent 10-month prison sentences, of which he must serve half in custody.

The judge also passed a Serious Violence Reduction Order for 18 months, meaning Gacs must notify police of his name and address and which empowers them to search him.