A homeless woman who was fined $500 for carrying an eight inch knife on Court Street said she needed it to protect herself.

Felicia C. Hassan, 35 of no fixed abode pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court on Wednesday to possessing an offensive weapon in Pembroke on May 6.

Crown counsel Graveney Bannister said Hassan committed the offence prior to the new blade legislation being put in force and the penalty would be $600 or 12 months imprisonment.

Mr. Bannister said at 12.28 p.m. that day, Police searched a pink knapsack Hassan was carrying and found a blade.

"I am tired of people messing with me," Hassan told Police. "I am going to put a stop to it."

But Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo told her to leave the weapons alone and to "stay away from Court Street, because you will just get yourself in further trouble".

When she said she could get money to pay the fine from a relative, Mr. Tokunbo said that was one of Bermuda's problems.

"Relatives too readily hand out money to pay the fines of other people," he said.