When police found a knuckleduster during a search its owner claimed he needed it for "protection."

Before Truro Crown Court for sentencing was Timothy Jack Wills, of no fixed abode.

The court heard that on August 10 last year, police had stopped the 31-year-old in Truro and had reason to search him.

In his backpack they found an offensive weapon, in the form of a knuckleduster.

The prosecution said he told the officers: "I have been threatened before, I carry it for my own protection."

In a subsequent police interview he said: "I can't fight and I don't fight. It was protection for me and my ex partner. When I moved out I took it."

He also claimed that in a search of his home at the time the knuckleduster had been found by police and they left it, so he "assumed it was OK to keep it," said the prosecutor.

The court also heard from probation officer Steven Butterworth, who, having interviewed Wills, said: "There was one particular issue with a certain person in the area.

"He was making his way to a local homeless support centre and wrapped it in a towel, in his bag. He told me he had no intention of using it.

"He described himself as a pacifist for most of his life and doesn't like aggression."

Mr Butterworth added that Wills had regretted the decision to take the weapon, "as he does make decisions and then regrets them when he thinks about it afterwards."

He described Wills as an alcoholic who then became addicted to crack cocaine following a troubled relationship with his mother as a child, when he would visit his grandparents at weekends "as a respite", and he moved out aged 15.

He then turned to heroin, but had recently had a time of sobriety and was on a methadone script, "doing quite well" for the last two years, said Mr Butterworth.

Wills had worked as a building labourer and was now working in a saw mill, had started going to the gym and was now back up to 12 stone in weight, having dropped to eight stone, with Mr Butterworth describing Wills as "a man starting to make sense of everything."

Judge Anna Richardson sentenced Wills to 18 weeks in prison, suspended for 24 months, along with 12 sessions of mental health treatment and 30 days of rehabilitative 'thinking skills' activity.

She also ordered the forfeiture of the knuckleduster.