A 19-year-old man caught with a Police expandable baton claimed he had it to protect himself, a court heard.

Keirston Samuels, of Long-ridge Pass, Devonshire, pleaded guilty to possessing offensive weapons when he appeared in Magistrates' Court yesterday.

Crown counsel Takiyah Burgess todl the court that on August 8 last year, Police received a report that a person with the baton was travelling east into St. David's driving a Silver Suzuki car.

Police searched the St. David's area and found the car located at Clearwater Beach. The owner was sitting at a bench near the car and was approached by Police and asked about the baton.

The owner, a woman, denied having the baton and said that her passenger may have had it.

Police approached Samuels, the passenger, who said that he did not have the baton on him but that it was in the car on the passenger side. He told Police: "I knew I was coming up here and had it for protection."

Samuels told Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo: "I made a mistake when I had the baton. I should have turned it in. I plan to go to school and I have other plans for my life."

Mr. Tokunbo asked: "What protection did you have it for?" He replied: "I've been attacked before."

Mr. Tokunbo added: "You guys have to get out of the mentality of carrying weapons and use your brains and walk away."

He was given a conditional discharge for 12 months.