Man caught with knuckle duster in South Shields street not a ‘dangerous person’, solicitor tells court

Nigel Boddy admitted his client Joseph Spooner, 34, had been caught by police with the offensive weapon close to the borough’s hospital, but said Spooner, of Hollingside Way, South Shields, had been witnessed by neighbours who knew him to be harmless. Magistrates heard the offence was committed in adjoining Hathersage Gardens on Thursday, September 1.

Prosecutor Gurjot Kaur said: “On the evening, police received reports of a male brandishing a yellow knuckle duster. They’ve been directed to him, and they have seized that knuckle duster.

"The defendant has eight previous convictions from 18 offences, and he was last before the court in 2011. That was for failing to comply with a community requirement. There are no relevant convictions for offensive or bladed articles.”

Spooner pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of an offensive weapon in public.

Addressing magistrates, Mr Boddy said: “Looking at his previous convictions, it becomes clear that there’s a pattern of sporadic offending, and then over a decade of no offending. He tells me that he’s been on medication for mental health issues and when he doesn’t take that the offences occur.

“The people in the vicinity were his neighbours, they know him well. He’s supported here today by his new partner. I would say he isn’t a dangerous person, and he is not of great public concern. He’s a person who goes through these occasional episodes.”

Magistrates in South Tyneside adjourned the case for reports, and Spooner will be sentenced at the same court on Monday, October 31.