By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 52-year-old homeless man who told the court he uses a kitchen knife to clean fish has been fined $155 after police caught him carrying the blade in downtown Belize City during the early morning hours.
Denroy Ingram, who has no fixed address but frequents the North Front Street area, appeared unrepresented before a Senior Magistrate on Wednesday, October 14, where he pleaded guilty to possession of an article with a blade.
According to police, officers on mobile patrol spotted Ingram walking near the corner of George and Orange Streets around 1:15 a.m. with a black kitchen knife bearing a three-inch blade. Police say Ingram dropped the knife upon noticing the officers.
In court, Ingram admitted the facts but explained that he uses the knife to scrape fish.
Under Belize’s Crime Control and Criminal Justice Act, carrying certain bladed articles in public between 8:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. is prohibited unless a person can establish a lawful excuse. The law also provides an exemption for certain small folding pocket knives.
Similar cases have resulted in fines, including a September 2026 case in which a Belize City man was fined $155 after police found him carrying a four-inch knife.
Ingram was fined $150 plus $5 court costs and given until December 11, 2026, to pay. Failure to do so will result in one month in prison.
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