Brecon man claimed 3D printed knuckle duster 'was toy'

Grey pleaded guilty to carrying the weapon on the first day of his trial at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court

A man given a suspended jail sentence after being caught with a knuckle duster created using a 3D printer had previously claimed it was a "toy".

Police found the weapon and a small quantity of cannabis on Adrian Grey, 40, when he was stopped and searched in Brecon on 5 December 2017.

Grey was given a three month suspended sentence at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Thursday,

He pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon and a controlled drug.

Grey, from Brecon, had told police the grey and white knuckle duster had been made by a friend using a 3D printer when officers found it in his coat pocket during the search last year.

Grey claimed the weapon was a toy because it was plastic

He claimed he wanted to use the weapon as a reference when drawing tattoos, and that he did not know it was illegal.

Alex Scott, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said the case was "unusual" as Grey had claimed the knuckle duster was a toy.

He said the weapon could cause "serious harm if used maliciously" and was an example of how weapons could come in many forms.

Grey, who initially admitted possession of the drug but denied carrying the weapon, pleaded guilty to the latter charge on the first day of his trial.

He was sentenced to three months in prison suspended for 12 months, ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and to pay costs of £250.