Police found man with stun gun and drugs

Keith Grogan had bought the LED torch which doubled up as a stun gun from a website based in China.

He was stopped by police in Newtown in the early hours of May 22 while using the "novelty" item as a torch to help friends who were dismantling a shed.

The officers searched Grogan and found the stun gun, which makes a "loud crack" and has a bolt of electricity moving between two points when set off.

Grogan had admitted a charge of possessing a weapon and possessing a firearm when prohibited for life at an earlier hearing, but appeared at Welshpool Magistrates Court on Tuesday for sentencing.

He was also sentenced for four other matters in relation to when he was stopped by police in Newtown while carrying an axe in the early hours of January 31.

He admitted possessing a bladed article, 1.9g of cannabis, a class B drug; 2.29g of amphetamine, a class B drug; and 6.99g of alpha-methyltryptamine, a class A drug.

In addition to the 24 month community order, Grogan was ordered to have 24 months supervision from probation and undergo a 12 month drug rehabilitation order.

He was also ordered to pay £300 court costs, a victim surcharge of £60 and a court charge of £180.

Magistrates also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs and weapons.

Mrs Helen Tench, prosecuting, said: "Officers were on patrol in Newtown at 1.10am on January 31 when they spotted the defendant carrying an axe and screwdriver.

"He was stopped and he said he was returning them to a friend who needed to use them.

"Officers searched him and found the drugs on him."

Mrs Tench said then on May 22, officers stopped him when he was using the stun gun as a torch to assist friends dismantling a shed in Newtown.

"It was 1.05am and officers approached. They suspected he had something on him and he said he had a torch on his waistband.

"On further investigation it was found to be the taser/stun gun weapon."

Mr Phil Sherrard, for Grogan, said his client had borrowed the axe from a friend who asked for it back.

He said: "He thought taking it back to him at that time would be safer as there were fewer people about. The police did not agree.

"He has also had a dependency on drugs for a number of years, but he had now made a major effort to avoid them.

"In relation to the taser, it is a novelty torch he bought off the internet. He has long history of interest in gadgets."