An allotment owner has slammed the "shan" decision to prosecute him - for receiving stolen chickens.
In what his solicitor admitted was an "unusual case", Joe Routledge appeared at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court to face the charge.
Routledge told ChonicleLive that he'd snapped the hens up for a quid-a-pop via Facebook.
But after the bird's owner claimed he'd had his chickens stolen, the 22-year-old claims he contacted him to give them back - only to get Northumbria Police at his door.
"I usually pay £6 for my chickens, but these were on sale for a pound," said Routledge, of Throckley, Newcastle.
"I had a feeling something was up because of the price, but then I thought I was just getting a bargain - who wouldn't?"
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But after seeing a fellow chicken lover post on Facebook that his chickens were missing, Routledge got in touch.
"I asked if he wanted to come over and have a look to see if they were his chickens - it turned out they were," said Routledge.
"I just told him to take them back - I didn't even want any money.
"But then a couple of hours later the police were at my door.
"I couldn't believe it."
An investigation was launched following the December 16 purchase and Routledge wascharged with handling stolen goods.
"I just thought it was shan to be honest - I tried to do the right thing and give them back," he claimed.
However the case against him was withdrawn at a quick hearing on Tuesday after prosecutors made "enquiries" to claims the case should have been dealt with via caution.
And his solicitor, Jack Lovell, said: "I understand the injured party in this case has had his chickens have been returned."
The case could now go back to Northumbria Police for a review to see if a caution should be issued against Routledge, who the court heard had been out of trouble since he was a youth.
And speaking afterwards, Routledge, of Mayfield Avenue, said: "I'm buzzing with the result - but it should never have got this far."
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