Mansfield man was too drunk to recall being given knuckle duster on night out

David Dinan was seen marching “purposefully” into a pub on Church Street by a plain-clothes police officer who was acting as a spotter on a drug operation, on February 2, Mansfield Magistrates’ Court heard.

Fiona McClelland, prosecuting, said the officer saw Dinan ‘spread his arms wide open in an aggressive manner’ inside the pub.

A doorman tried to remove him but Dinan, aged 22, squirmed away and squared up to him.

When he was handcuffed by the officer he continued to try and square up to him, while becoming more and more irate.

The knuckle-duster was found when he was searched.

Dinan, of Goodacre Street, Mansfield, admitted drunk and disorderly behaviour, and possession of an offensive weapon.

Ryan Higginbotham, mitigating, said Dinan is now ashamed of his behaviour and thinks the weapon was given to him earlier that evening, but struggles to recall when.

“He was on a night out with friends and had no intention to be violent,” he said, adding Dinan “seldom goes out drinking now”.

He lives with grandmother and was working as a window-fitter, but is due to start work as a bricklayer.

Mr Higginbotham said Dinan, who has no relevant previous convictions, deserved credit for his prompt plea.

District judge Gillian Young handed Dinan a 12-month community order with 100 hours of unpaid work. She also confiscated the knuckle duster and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £114 surcharge.