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‘Aggressive’ man tried to grab display knives at Arnotts, court told

Judge Bryan Smyth struck the case out, sparing him a criminal record, when he admitted a public order offence and made a €200 charity donation.

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A young man aggressively tried to grab knives from a department store display when he was asked to leave over “inappropriate” behaviour to female staff.

Thuto Seth Ketshabetswe (28) had been off his medication for schizophrenia at the time and was “shocked” by his own actions.

Judge Bryan Smyth struck the case out, sparing him a criminal record, when he admitted a public order offence and made a €200 charity donation.

Ketshabetswe, from Bective House, Beaufort Place, Navan, Co Meath, pleaded guilty to threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour.

Dublin District Court heard the incident happened at Arnotts on Henry Street on August 19 this year.

The accused approached female members of staff and “acted inappropriately towards them”, Garda Sergeant Maire McDevitt said.

He was asked to leave the shop a number of times but refused and became aggressive, attempting to grab kitchen knives from a display.

Gardaí were called and Ketshabetswe continued to be highly aggressive and abusive. He was arrested.

The accused had been on medication but came off it temporarily at the time, his solicitor Andrew Broderick said. He had been made redundant, was frustrated and came to Dublin and consumed alcohol on the day.

Ketshabetswe acted completely differently to how he normally would, was “shocked” by his own behaviour and remorseful, said Mr Broderick. He accepted that the facts of the case were “bad”.