Knife collector in custody after carrying Gurkha blade in public

A KNIFE collector wound up in court for walking down the street with a Gurkha kukri sticking out of his rucksack.

When shown the knife, a Sheriff commented: "That's quite a knife."

The weapon was found by police after they received a call that a man was walking along Easter Drylaw Place in Edinburgh with a large knife sticking out of his bag.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday, Lee Haston, a prisoner in Edinburgh, pleaded guilty to being in possession of the weapon on July 14 this year. Sentence was deferred for reports. Haston, who has a previous conviction for a similar offence, was remanded in custody.

Defence agent Robbie Burnett told Sheriff Elizabeth Jarvie that Haston was a collector of knives. He showed her photographs of his client's collection, including Samurai swords, which he said had been handed down from his grandfather. Haston, he said, had bought the kukri from a friend for £10 and was returning home with it. "He realises that after he purchased it he should have gone straight home and not been mucking about," he said.