Drug dealer caught with knuckle duster spared jail

Ewan Norbury (19), of The Crescent, Dinnington, was found to have cannabis worth more than £300, scales, £300 in cash and the two weapons when searched by police.

Recorder Simon Jackson rejected Norbury’s claims that he had “found” the knuckle duster and that his dealing was confined to his friends and sentenced him to 18 months in prison.

But the judge decided to suspend the sentence for two years after Norbury’s barrister, Ms Joy Merriam, said he had kicked his cannabis habit and was remorseful.

Sheffield Crown Court heard on Friday that police had stopped a car in Ryton Road, South Anston, on September 20, 2019.

“The defendant was the front seat passenger and there was a strong smell of cannabis,” said Mr Andrew Petterson, prosecuting.

The officers had found three bags on Norbury containing around 42g of cannabis between them, one of which had drugs split into smaller “wraps”, the court heard.

The drugs were worth between £300 and £450 depending how they were sold.

When questioned, Norbury accepted the drugs were his but insisted it was for his own use and the cash had been withdrawn from the bank but would not provide his bank details.

He said he found the knuckle duster and kept it “just in case”, Mr Petterson said.

Ms Merriam said that at the time of his arrest, Norbury had been “using cannabis every day in a significant amount and had been doing so for two years”.

She added: “He has ceased from that and taken steps to cease his addiction and his offending behaviour.

“He has displayed remorse and is of previous good character.”

Sentencing Norbury, who admitted possessing Class B drugs with intent to supply and possessing an offensive weapon, Judge Jackson told him: “You are a young man of previous good character with a supportive family. The support they have given and no doubt some hard words has caused you to change your pattern of behaviour.”

But he added: “I don’t want you to leave court without understanding how close you have come to a sentence of custody.”

As well as the suspended prison sentence, Norbury was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and put on a curfew for three months.