was ordered to pay a fine of $100.

Perry Puckerin, 19, of Footbridge Lane, pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court to possessing a baseball bat without lawful authority or reasonable cause.

Police saw Puckerin walking with the bat in the Glebe Road, Pembroke, area during the early hours of the morning after Hallowe'en, prosecuting Sgt. Rex Osborne said.

When they stopped Puckerin, who was walking with a female, he also pulled out a pocket knife with a red handle and threw it in nearby bushes. The knife was later recovered.

Puckerin told the court he was carrying the weapon because he had been "jumped'' earlier that night.

"I was just walking home,'' he added.

Before fining Puckerin, Senior Magistrate the Wor. Will Francis said: "Things are getting serious in this country. The way people have weapons, this only leads to more problems. Don't go around carrying knives or sticks or anything.''