Sunderland man admits possession of cocaine after telling police it was paracetamol

Frank Spencer, 38, of Portsmouth Road, Pennywell was found with five drug wraps hidden in a plastic Kinder Egg container and one in a sock.

Spencer came up with his unlikely fiction after his arrest in Sunderland on Saturday, May 11.

But his lies unfolded when police forensically tested the white powder, which confirmed it to be class A prohibited cocaine.

At South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court he admitted admitted a charge of drug possession – his 20th criminal conviction.

Prosecutor Holly Clegg said: “The defendant was arrested in connection with an unrelated incident.

“When he was searched officers found a Kinder Egg with five packets of white powder, and a further packet was in a sock.

“He concocted that they were paracetamol, but they were tested and found to be cocaine.

“There’s previous for class A in 2011 and his last conviction was in 2020 on an unrelated matter.”

Spencer's 19 previous convictions come from 33 offences, the hearing was told.

David Forrester, defending, described Spencer as not being in great health and receiving the Personal Independence Payment state benefit.

Mr Forrester told District Judge Zoe Passfield: “I’m not sure there’s anything to take you away from the guidelines.”

Judge Passfield fined Spencer £120, with £85 court costs and a £48 victim surcharge, and ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs.

She told him: “I give you credit for your guilty plea.”