A TEENAGER who armed himself with a chisel has been hit with a fine for possessing a weapon.

Joel Robert Smalley, of Dovecote Lane, Credenhill, pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon and possession of cannabis when he appeared before magistrates in Hereford.

Nicola Ritchie, prosecuting, said police were called to a report that a group of men, one with a knife, were attacking people in a vehicle on Gorsty Lane in Hereford at 5pm on July 10.

On arrival, police saw three men matching their description, and a search revealed Smalley was carrying an eight-inch bolster chisel and a cannabis grinder in his bag.

He told police that the cannabis was for his own use and that he had got the chisel from his grandfather to give to his dad.

Smalley's grandfather disputed his version of events, and the 18-year-old later admitted that he had taken the chisel from a garage that morning with the intention of using it against an unnamed person.

Edmund Middleton, for Smalley, said that although it had been his intention to use the chisel, there was no evidence that he had done so.

"What we see in his offending is a lack of maturity," Mr Middleton said.

"He seems to have committed this offence impulsively and with little thought to the consequences."

Smalley, who is already subject to a community order, was fined £50 for cannabis possession and £250 for possessing a weapon. He was ordered to pay £185 costs and a £35 victim surcharge.