Jilted chef jailed for knife incident on Shop Street

A jilted chef swung a knife about as he walked down Shop Street at the height of the tourist season.

Kamil Kowal (26), formerly of Lodge Road, Westport, appeared in custody before Galway District Court where he received a five-month prison sentence for the incident.

He pleaded guilty to having the knife in his possession at Shop Street on July 3 last and to being drunk in public on the same occasion.

Further charges of waving an iron bar in a threatening manner at pedestrians while holding the knife in his other hand and of breaching the peace, were withdrawn by the State.

Outlining the facts of the case, Sergeant Finbarr Philpott said Gardaí responded to a call of a man waving a knife and an iron bar at people in Shop Street at 10.30pm on the night in question. They found Kowal in an aggressive and agitated state but when Gardaí directed him to drop the items, he did so immediately and was then arrested.

Judge Mary Fahy said the charge before the court was in relation to a knife and there was no mention of an iron bar in that charge.

Sgt Philpott clarified that another charge relating to the iron bar had been withdrawn by the State.

The judge said he should not have referred to an iron bar in his evidence if there was no charge for it before the court.

Defence barrister, Garry McDonald, said his client, who has resided in Ireland since 2008, dropped the knife when Gardaí approached him. He said Kowal had been a chef in a hotel in Westport but had lost his job there and also the accommodation which came with the job.

His partner left him the night before this incident occurred, taking their son with her, and he took it very badly, came to Galway and spent the day drinking.

Judge Fahy noted this incident happened around 10pm when there would have been a lot of people on Shop Street.

Mr McDonald said Kowal had no intention of using the knife on anyone that night and, in fact, he had used it to self-harm earlier that day. “He went off the wall after his partner left him. He lost his job but he’s hoping he’ll get another one,” he added.

Judge Fahy tried to have Kowal assessed for community service in lieu of a prison sentence, but when he failed to provide a permanent address, she said she had no option but impose the prison sentence instead.