A HORSHAM man was sentenced to one month in jail after pleading guilty to drug and weapon charges.
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Gavin O'Connor, 52, appeared at Horsham Magistrates' Court on July 29 via videolink from prison. The court heard he had been in custody for 44 days.
Police conducted a search warrant at O'Connor's Horsham property on June 13.
Police located an illegal taser under the sheets of O'Connor's bed. They also located five grams of cannabis and a ziplock bag containing two grams of methamphetamine inside a mallet handle.
O'Connor was taken to Horsham Police Station where he was charged with possession of illegal drugs and an illegal weapon.
In an interview with police, O'Connor said he had the taser for protection and had forgotten the drugs were at his property.
The court heard O'Connor was on a community corrections order when he was arrested.
Defence lawyer Dianne Mitchell said it was the first time O'Connor had been in jail.
"The weapons charge is serious, but the drug amounts that were found were not large. It is very sad for a man of his age to find himself in jail for the first time," she said.
O'Connor told Magistrate Julie Grainger that jail had given him a chance to "think about life" and "see things differently".
Ms Grainger encouraged O'Connor to seek drug treatment.
She sentenced O'Connor to one month in jail, with 44 days served. She said O'Connor would also be placed on a CCO for another 12 months once released from jail, but would not impose any further penalty.
"I suggest you do some further deep-thinking, otherwise you will continue to get into trouble," she said.
She also ordered that the seized taser and drugs were destroyed.
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