A man has been handed unpaid work after being caught in possession of illegal pepper spray.
Jack Florence was found with the canister in the communal hallway of a block of flats on Catherine Street in Aberdeen.
The 27-year-old told officers he had the item for protection and did not know it was illegal.
Fiscal depute Felicity Merson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court: “At 5pm on March 13 2018 uniformed police officers were making unrelated inquiries when they saw the accused in the company of two others descending stairs.”
Mrs Merson said Florence was searched and an aerosol canister with a label reading “self defender 10% super pepper” was found in his pocket.
He told officers: “I carry it for protection.”
The fiscal said Florence added he “would not have carried it had he known it was illegal”.
Florence, of Cummings Park Drive, Aberdeen, pled guilty to a charge under the Firearms Act of possession of a prohibited weapon.
Defence agent Tony Burgess said his client maintained the writing mentioned on the label was not on the canister, or that he at least was not visible to him.
The lawyer added: “He would have used it in defence but he would never have instigated the use of the item.”
He added Florence had made progress in turning his life around since the offence, and was concerned he would lose that progress if he was jailed.
Sheriff William Summers told Florence: “Very often anyone found in possession of an item like this will be made subject to a custodial sentence.
“You are now making concerted and genuine efforts to turn your life around.”
He ordered Florence to be supervised for 18 months and imposed 180 hours of unpaid work.
He also granted a Crown motion for forfeiture of the pepper spray.
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