Man in Kerry pleads guilty to carrying knife around his neck

By Anna Zacharias, The Kerryman

Martin Odlozil (51) of Knockacullig North, Kilcummin, received a four month suspended sentence after pleading guilty at Tralee District Court to the possession of a knife in a public place. Inspector Gary Carroll told the court that Mr Odlozil was walking down Main Street, Killarney with his pants around his ankles and acting belligerently to security staff on July 21 last year.

But it was what he wore that proved problematic for Mr Odlozil.

Gardaí called to the area and discovered that he kept in a scabbard hang around his neck. “In a tussle, it fell to the ground,” the court heard.

When gardaí asked why he had it, his response was “he’d carried it all his life”.

Mr Odlozil had no previous convictions and has not subsequently come to the attention of gardaí. He had received a caution for an assault on April 30, 2025 with a shop worker “over a cup of coffee”, the court was told.

His solicitor, Padraig O’Connell, noted the knife fell and was never produced with malicious intent.

“It fell to the ground and he didn’t attempt to retrieve it,” said the solicitor.

Judge David Waters suspended the sentence for one year.