A Craigneuk man who was caught with a knife and heroin in a Wishaw street has avoided a prison sentence.
Connor Hamilton was instead ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid community work and attend substance misuse counselling.
He was also given a one-year supervision order when he appeared in the dock at Hamilton Sheriff Court last week.
Hamilton, 22, of Laurel Drive, admitted unlawful possession of a blade and heroin in Birkshaw Brae, Gowkthrapple, on March 25.
Scott King, prosecuting, said police officers were on patrol in the afternoon when they saw Hamilton in a car park near flats.
Mr King told the court: “On seeing the police, the accused placed his hands in his tracksuit bottoms, put his head down and walked away quickly.
“The officers were suspicious and detained him for a drugs search.
“He was asked if he had anything that could harm the officers and produced a lockback knife with an eight-inch blade.
“He also had a bag which contained £10 worth of heroin in a pocket of his fleece jacket.”
After studying a criminal justice social work report, Sheriff Shiona Waldron said she was prepared to impose a community order as an alternative to a prison sentence.
The community work order was cut from 300 hours to 200 because of Hamilton’s earlier guilty plea to the charges.
