January 5, 2023 4.15 pm This story is over 24 months old

£1.1k court bill for man found with drugs and knuckle duster at home

In mitigation, it was claimed he’s since changed his lifestyle

A young Louth man has started the New Year with a £1,135 court bill.

Charlie Wright was found to have a knuckle duster at his home in Charles Street. Police searched the property after finding drugs on the 20-year-old.

He and three other people were sitting in a stationary BMW car in a rural part of the town at 2am on October 9 last year, Boston Magistrates’ Court heard on Wednesday.

They were in “various states of intoxication,” said prosecutor Fiona McClelland.

Two bags of white powder – later confirmed to be one gram of cocaine – and a cannabis joint were found on Wright.

He pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon in a private place and possession of class A and class B drugs.

Rebecca Freitas, mitigating, said her client was unaware that having the knuckle duster at home was an offence following a law change in July 2021. He’d owned it since 2018.

“He’s no longer using illegal drugs and he’s changed his friendship circle,” she added.

Wright was fined £450 for possession of the weapon and £300 for the cocaine.

There was no separate penalty for the cannabis offence and he was ordered to pay £300 victim surcharge and £85 costs.