Newly trained soldier, 19, caught smuggling novelty ‘knuckle duster’ bottle opener into Halloween-themed nightclub party faces £2,000 in fines

• Troy Wilks was attempting to enter Rosie’s nightclub in Chester at the time 

A newly trained soldier faces fines of £2,000 after he was caught smuggling a novelty ‘knuckle duster’ bottle opener into a Halloween-themed party at a nightclub.

Infantryman Troy Wilks, 19, was arrested with the metal object when he tried to get into the fancy dress event at Rosie’s nightclub in Chester after being given a night off from his post at an army barracks.

When questioned by police Wilks, who only passed his military training last March, voluntarily admitted carrying the knuckle duster bottle opener in his pocket said ‘I have been t****ed in here before’.

At Chester magistrates court, Wilks faced up to six months custody under sentencing guidelines after he admitted possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.

But he was fined £666 with £386 in costs and surcharges – the equivalent of two weeks salary – after a judge said they hoped he had ‘learnt a big lesson’ and warned him of the dangers of arming himself in ‘non-combative situations.’

Infantryman Troy Wilks, 19, was arrested with the metal object when he tried to get into the fancy dress event at Rosie’s nightclub in Chester

Wilks now faces fines of around £2,000 after bringing the weapon to the club

Knuckleduster bottle opener similar to that found on Infantryman Troy Wilks (stock image)

He is expected to get a similar financial penalty at a forthcoming disciplinary hearing at his base at Dale Barracks in Moston, Chester, – home to the the 2nd Battalion, Royal Yorkshire Regiment – bringing his total bill to over £2,000 or four weeks wages.

The incident occurred at shortly after 11pm at night after Wilks, from Bewdley, Worcestershire, was detained at the door of the nightclub after he volunteered the bottle opener when asked by doormen if he had any metal objects in his pockets.

Mr Scott Woodward, prosecuting, said: ‘He had been subject to a search by the door staff as a condition of entry to the club. The weapon concerned was a makeshift knuckle duster.

‘Police attended and detained the defendant. There were no further weapons found. However, he was arrested for possession of an offensive weapon. In police interview, he said, “I went in, it was found on me. I have been t****ed in here before.”

‘He stated that it was a bottle opener on a keychain but admitted that he was in possession of the offensive weapon. He appears before the court as a man of good character. He has no previous convictions on his record.

Mr Woodward added: ‘The weapon was not used to threaten anyone, it was simple possession, but the offence was committed in a position where serious disorder could have taken place. It was a nightclub. People were intoxicated.’

Wilks, who appeared in full military uniform and in the company of his commanding officer, did not have legal representation. 

A probation worker said that being a serving soldier made it ‘very difficult’ to sentence him to a rehabilitative punishment

When asked by the magistrates if he had anything to say, he said: ‘No, not really. I said I had it on me. I even told them where it was.’ Assisting him, the magistrates commented that he had ‘cooperated fully with the door staff’.

A probation worker said that being a serving soldier made it ‘very difficult’ to sentence him to a rehabilitative punishment.

Wilks’s commanding officer was also asked whether the teenager would be punished by the army. The officer replied: ‘Army discipline will be determined by what happens in the court. He will get charged again from our commanding officer. If he gets a fine, he would look at getting a fine back in camp.’

Sentencing Wilks, JP Jeffrey Dodd told him: ‘You are young and hopefully you have learnt a big lesson from this today. I am sure that you have.

All we can say is that if you are going anywhere in a non-combative situation, armed, you can find yourself in something very serious.’

The knuckleduster was ordered to be forfeited and destroyed.

Source: Read Full Article