Court news: Police found hunting knife in car of drug driver serving community order for sex offences

Michael Almond, 29, of Kirton Drove, Holland Fen, admitted both driving under the influence of cannabis and possessing a bladed article when he appeared before magistrates in Boston.

Prosecuting, Dale Brownless said Almond was stopped in High Road, Weston on May 23 because of the standard of his driving and when the officers searched his VW Polo car, they found the hunting knife, which he told them was for self-defence. He said because of the smell of cannabis in the car, he was given a drugs wipe which proved to be positive and an analysis revealed Almond had 9.8 micrograms of cannabis in his bloodstream, the legal limit being two.

Almond was said to be currently subject to a three year community order imposed in January this year in the crown court for sexual offences.

Mitigating for Almond, Matthew Tye said that Almond did have a drug driving conviction in October and was given a 12 month driving ban but that the new offence pre-dated this. He added that the hunting knife was for self-harm rather than self-defence.

The magistrates imposed a custodial sentence of four months but suspended it for 18 months. He was also fined £120 and banned from driving for 12 months for the drug driving offence and was also ordered to pay a total of £228 in court costs and charges.