Man caught with nunchucks thanks court for 'going easy' on him

A man dressed in camouflage who was carrying a pair of nunchucks claimed he only had them with him because they were his most prized possession.

Khan Dean had been involved in a row with his dad at their home in Leicester and he had been kicked out of the house.

Intending to go and stay with his cousin in Hinckley, Dean, who practices martial arts, took his nunchucks so he could train in his cousin’s garden and because the nunchucks were his favourite possession, Leicester Magistrates’ Court heard.

But his dad called 999 and Leicestershire Police organised a search of the area. A police officer later found Dean in Hamelin Road, Braunstone, Leicester.

At a hearing on Friday, in which the 29-year-old pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon in public, prosecutor Kwok Wan said: “At about 1.45pm on Tuesday, August 6, police received a concerned phone call from Mr Dean’s father saying the defendant had left the home with a pair of nunchucks.

“A search was made for Mr Dean and on Hamelin Road an officer saw a male in full camouflaged clothing.

“He got out of his vehicle and spoke to the person and advised him he was being stopped for a search.

“He asked the male if he had anything on him and the defendant said, ‘I’ve got nunchucks in my pocket but they’re in a case’.”

'Purpose was to take them from A to B'

Dean was arrested and taken to Beaumont Leys police station, where he admitted possessing a weapon.

Mr Wan said: “He stated he wasn’t thinking at the time, and believed this was due to his mental health at the time.”

Chris Black, representing Dean, of no fixed address, said his client was being treated for paranoid schizophrenia and had no intention to use the Japanese weapon, which is two short poles joined by a chain or rope.

He said: “My client enjoys practising martial arts, including using these nunchucks.

“He had an argument with his father and was thrown out and took his only prized possession, which are his nunchucks.

“His only reason was he would go to his cousin’s in Hinckley where he would practice martial arts in the garden.

“My client’s purpose was simply to take them from A to B and they were in a cloth bag and he would have had to undo the knot to access them.”

Mr Black said Dean had no drink or drug issues and was getting medication and outpatient treatment for his mental health issues.

The magistrates gave Dean a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and warned him he would have been jailed if he had not pleaded guilty to the offence.

They also told him to pay £85 court costs and a £122 victim surcharge and ordered the nunchucks be destroyed.

Dean told the magistrates: “Thank you for going easy on me. I’ll stay out of trouble.”