Pub sword purchase costs South Coast man thousands in court fines

On December 23, Bega Local Court heard that 38-year-old Bradley Joseph Clarke had been to a local hotel, where he purchased a bag of marijuana and a sword from a patron of the establishment.

His lawyer, Jennifer Chalker, said that on his way home the casual farmhand was pulled over by police when they flagged his car as both unregistered and uninsured.

At the side of the road, she said officers noted a "suspicious smell of cannabis" and when they searched the vehicle they discovered the recently purchased sword.

Ms Chalker also said police observed Clarke drive past the residence of a person he was under a court order to not approach within 50 metres, although he had no intention of visiting the home.

Clarke admitted responsibility for the offences, pleading guilty to drug possession, custody of a knife, using an unregistered and uninsured motor vehicle, and contravening a restriction in an apprehended violence order.

In delivering his judgement, magistrate Doug Dick cautioned Clarke about the gravity of his possession of the sword.

"These fines are going to seem heavy, but they're not heavy when you hear what could have been involved. The matter is very serious, and it carries a maximum sentence of four years in jail," he said.

"Parliament has only recently doubled all penalties for this offence. It wasn't done just for the sake of it; it was done so that the courts are aware of their concern over the danger of it."

Clarke was convicted and fined a total of $5200. The sword was seized by the Crown and destroyed.