Man caught with drugs in caravan after moving into mobile home following separation

Gareth Husband, 39, had the prohibited drugs in the kitchen of his farm-based mobile home in Houghton, a court heard.

They were uncovered when officers searched High Hillside Farm, in Sunderland Street, on an unrelated matter on Thursday, July 8.

Prosecutor Lesley Burgess told South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court: “Police have attended High Hillside Farm, to search the grounds and the caravan.

“In the caravan’s kitchen a cannabis grinder and a bag of white powder was found.

“The defendant was arrested on other matters and that was when the search of the caravan was undertaken.

“It’s a small amount of drugs and the defendant has pleaded guilty at the first opportunity to two offences.

“He was asked about the drugs and if he knew there was class A and cannabis. He said they were there for personal use.

“He also said that he knew it was illegal to be in possession of these drugs.”

Ms Burgess described Husband’s past offending as “significant”, but conceded most of it had been in the 1990s and 2000s.

She said his criminal record showed 19 previous convictions from 53 offences, but he had not been before the courts since 2013.

Husband pleaded guilty to charges of possession of class A cocaine and class B cannabis.

The court heard cocaine possession at Husband's personal use level can lead to up to 51 weeks in prison.

Greg Flaxen, defending, said self-employed groundworker Husband had recently separated his wife of three decades.

He added: “He says that he’s been out of the house and living in a caravan.

“The drugs were for personal use. There’s been a significant gap in offending.”

Magistrates fined Husband £200 and ordered him to pay £85 court costs and a £34 victim surcharge.