A criminal who claimed he was carrying a martial arts weapon in public to exercise has been jailed.
Karl Barker, who has a long history of breaking the law, had nunchucks around his neck first thing in the morning in a recreation area. When he was approached by police in Hebburn, South Tyneside, he ran off and tried to dispose of the weapon, which is comprised of two batons held together by a cord.
The nunchucks were found by police in bushes and Barker was detained in September last year. He later claimed his intention was simply an outdoor workout but a judge at Newcastle Crown Court jailed him for 136 days.
