Syringe (a weapon)..????

Damo1174

Im after having a debate with a friend about this and he insists that for a person carrying a syringe in the eyes of the government this **wouldnt** fall under a "weapons" law and would be dealt with differently... but I think it would because your using it as a weapon and the definition of weapon

An instrument of attack or defense in combat
A means used to defend against or defeat another

That doesnt eliminate a syringe... though briefly I thought maybe since a syring isn't designed to be a weapon then that might add up to something..... but then again guns (in Ireland anyway) arent sold as weapons. So I still think Im right. Are syringes weapons..?? In the eyes of the court are they treated as weapons???

Tom Young

Yep - Fully covered in Law. Maximum sentence - Life. http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1997/en/act/pub/0026/index.html

Sections 6, 7 and 8.

Tom

GerardKeating

Tom Young wrote: »

Yep - Fully covered in Law. Maximum sentence - Life. http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1997/en/act/pub/0026/index.html

Sections 6, 7 and 8.

Tom

My reading of section 7 is that a "syringe" would be treated differently

".....unless the person gives to the member reasonable excuse for having the syringe or container with him or her"

I can give a member of the Garda Síochána a "reasonable excuse" for having a syringe (if i was diabetic for example) whereas i would be difficult to think of an excuse to have a sword, knife or other weapon..

Tom Young

GerardKeating wrote: »

My reading of section 7 is that a "syringe" would be treated differently

".....unless the person gives to the member reasonable excuse for having the syringe or container with him or her"

I can give a member of the Garda Síochána a "reasonable excuse" for having a syringe (if i was diabetic for example) whereas i would be difficult to think of an excuse to have a sword, knife or other weapon..

Yes, I didn't break it down into sections, nor did I address OPs queries in detail. The definition of a syringe as a weapon will be subjective. I say that in the knowledge that the test might well be objective in the context of a heroine addict and registered one at that!

If the OP wants to know whether he is right or wrong he could exclude valid reasons as to why syringes would validly be in someone's possession.

Tom

Greenmachine

The fact you were carrying a syringe in and of itself, woulld not nessesarily be an offense. But if you were carrying a used syringe it prolly could be interpretated as a weapon or at least there should be reasonable ground for determining it to be a weapon under certain circumstance.

the locust

The legislation clearly states as said in s6, 7 & 8 its an offence to:-
harm, injure or threaten with a syringe,

and yes simply possess a syringe (or w/blood), is an offence

also abandoning a syringe where it is likely to injure, cause a threat or frighten is an offence

This legislation was brought in as a response to the amount of syringe attacks/threats by junkies to pump someone full of aids etc... if you didn't hand over your purse etc...

I think a reasonable excuse for having a syringe would be if your were a doctor or vet etc...

clancyoo7

Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, 1990


9.—(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), where a person has with him in any public place any knife or any other article which has a blade or which is sharply pointed, he shall be guilty of an offence.

on conviction on indictment, to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to both.