Chester man guilty of owning drug-filled syringe

Feb 8 2010 by Mark Dowling, Chester Chronicle

A CHESTER man was handed a six-month community order after he admitted possessing a syringe containing heroin.

Robert Mills, 56, of Watergate Street, pleaded guilty to having the class A drug when police officers visited him on July 24.

Prosecuting, Laurence Bestow said police officers visited him on an unrelated matter, where he produced a syringe with brown liquid, which was found to be heroin.

Magistrates at Chester Magistrates Court heard since the offence, Mills has been in court twice and has been on a drug treatment programme.

The court heard Mills was on a 12-month community order, including a drug rehabilitation requirement, and had attended all the sessions, to make “a fairly good start”.

Mr Bestow added: “A concurrent order would be the most appropriate course of action.”

Steven Ferns, defending, said Mills had been combating his drug problem.

Magistrates handed Mills a six-month community order, with a six-month supervision order to run concurrently, which would include a drug rehabilitation programme.

Mills must also pay £50 prosecution costs and the syringe was to be forfeited and destroyed.