A father who walked past City Hall with one of his children while carrying a machete was warned yesterday that if he was found in public again with a weapon he could face three years in jail.

Denton Parris, 34, was locked up for 30 days after he pleaded guilty at Magistrates' Court to carrying an offensive weapon in a public place.

But Acting Magistrate Justin Williams told him that he only got off so lightly because the offence was committed before new bladed article legislation was brought in under the Criminal Code last July.

The Code imposes a minimum mandatory prison term of three years for possession of a weapon with a blade of three inches or more.

Prosecutor Cindy Clarke told Magistrates' Court that Parris, who has a number of previous convictions, was stopped on the afternoon of April 4, 2004.

She said: "He was found to have a machete concealed within a waistband of his pants."

Defence lawyer Victoria Pearman said: "He was actually pushing a baby carrier with one of his children. Mr. Parris has for many years acted as a landscaper. Mr. Parris explained he was returning this to someone it belonged to."

After looking at Parris' criminal record, Mr. Williams said: "It seems Mr. Parris has been very diligent in returning gardening implements in the past as well."

Ms Pearman said: "I don't recall this being his defence in the past."

Mr. Williams told Parris: "It is a serious matter and had this occurred on a later date the penalty you would be facing would be considerably greater.

"I'm slightly concerned in that when I look through the antecedents this isn't the first time you have been in possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.

"The Crown has taken a considerate view in all of the circumstances. I want to make clear to you that this cannot happen in the future because if it does it is going to be an entirely different result."

The 30-day sentence will run concurrently with a 12-month jail term that Parris, from Sandys, is already serving in Westgate.