Cannabis user carried "cool" lock knife because Swansea is "dangerous"

A MAN told police he carried a knife in his wallet because it was "cool" and because he thought Swansea was a "dangerous place".

As William Rhys Thomas left the Tesco store on De La Beche Street in Swansea on June 9, a passing police officer smelled cannabis on his clothes and told him he was going to perform a stop and search.

Thomas, from Ystrad Road in Fforestfach, was found carrying a bag of cannabis and was arrested.

But when the 19-year-old was taken to the police station, officers found what looked like a black plastic credit card but the officer discovered it was actually a lock knife.

The blade could be released and the plastic would fold in on itself to make the handle, prosecutor Linda Baker told city magistrates.

Thomas told officers: "It's ok, I've got a receipt.

"I bought it on the internet, I bought it for self defence."

When questioned, he said he didn't know it was illegal to have the knife but said it was "cool".

"He also said he lives in Swansea and it's a dangerous place to live. 'I carry it for self defence, I guess I didn't do enough research before I bought it'," Mrs Baker said.

He had no previous convictions.

Thomas pleaded guilty to possessing a class B drug, having an offensive weapon in a public place and two offences of theft by finding.

Officers had also found two driving licences which did not belong to him among his possessions.

Nick Devonald, for Thomas, said his client was not brandishing the knife and it had only been removed from his wallet where he usually stored it so he could pay for goods in Tesco.

He said Thomas found one of the stolen driving licences outside his place of work and decided to keep it.

His friend had tried to use the other as ID but failed and Thomas asked if he could have it.

He said he had told him he knew his actions "had lacked common sense."

"I have been a complete foot and idiotic in my behaviour," Thomas had told Mr Devonald.

Sentencing him to 40 hours of unpaid work as part of a community order, magistrates chairman Phil Llewelyn said: "This was a silly offence you committed out of bravado.

"You purchased this weapon with no intention of ever using it but it was in your possession and you have correctly pleaded guilty to it. Your greatest punishment is your loss of clean character."

http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk 30/06/2014