Ashley Brown was given a suspended jail term by Poole magistrates

A New Milton man who was caught with a sharp woodworking tool and drugs, and stole a mobile phone, received a suspended prison sentence.

Ashley Brown (41) was found guilty in his absence of possessing a bradawl in a public place following an incident at his address on Dinham Road on 26th August 2023.

Brown pleaded guilty to two counts of class A drug possession, having had two wraps of diamorphine and three wraps of crack cocaine in Bournemouth on 3rd May.

He also changed a plea to guilty for having stolen a man’s £110 phone, with an accomplice, at Ferndown Library on 13th October 2022.

Ruling the offences were so serious that only a custodial sentence could be justified, Poole magistrates suspended a five-month jail term for 12 months.

Brown was fined a total of £170 and told to pay another £130 compensation for the phone theft.

The Bench also ordered he be deprived of the bradawl and forfeit the drugs for destruction.