Whiteleas man caught with knife and drugs at transport interchange found with second stash at home

A man caught with a knife and drugs at South Tyneside’s main transport hub was found with a second stash of illegal substances at his home during a police search.

Shaun Campbell, 43, was arrested by officers who raced to South Shields’ transport interchange after a call of a possible knifeman on the loose.

They discovered Campbell with a kitchen knife and crack cocaine, which led to a check of his address in Moreland Road, Whiteleas.

That turned up heroin, Valium and cocaine on Friday, August 4, prosecutor Claire Armstrong told the borough’s magistrates’ court.

Campbell, who has 32 previous criminal convictions, including two for drugs’ possession, has been spared a jail term.

Ms Armstrong said: “Police were notified of an incident at South Shields interchange at 8.50pm.

“They were given a description of a man who was said to be in possession of a knife.

“On arrival at about 9pm, they identified the defendant and searched him and what appeared to be a bladed article was found.

“A further search of him revealed a white substance which was believed to be a class A substance. It was crack cocaine.

“A house search was carried out and a number of items were found. These were cocaine, heroin and Valium.”

Campbell pleaded guilty to charges of possession of a bladed article in public and three of possession of class A substances and one of class C.

Annalisa Moscardini, defending, said: “He was not brandishing the knife in public.

“He would say that someone had made threats to him first, but he accepts that he shouldn’t have had the knife in public.

“The reason he had it in public is that he was going to self-harm. It was approaching the anniversary of his mother and aunt’s deaths.

“He’s happy to have any help that he can. He’s very upset to be back in trouble when he hasn’t offended for so long and had been clean.”

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District Judge Zoe Passfield told Campbell she had considered imposing a suspended prison sentence.

The judge said: “It’s a real shame to see you back in court when you’ve been out of trouble for so long.”

She instead backtracked and imposed an 18-month CASPS – a community alternative to short prison sentence – order.

It has conditions of 30 rehabilitation days, a nine-month drug rehabilitation order and 12 months of mental health treatment.

He must also pay a £114 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.