He knew it was wrong but Jason Matthew Dale felt he had little choice.
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In his line of work, he told the magistrate, he’d had to repossess cars “your honour”.
“Sometimes they’re not happy about it,” he said, “and they want to hit me.”
It was why, the 44-year-old Chiltern man explained to Albury Local Court this week, he carried a set of knuckledusters.
The discovery of the knuckledusters by police led to Dale being charged with possessing or using a weapon without a permit, to which he pleaded guilty.
Dale, who was respectful and contrite as he represented himself in court, said he had not long been released from prison in Victoria.
His parole conditions meant he was under the supervision of Victorian authorities.
The court was told the knuckledusters were found after Dale went with another man to a panel beaters in Macauley Street, Albury, last June 25 about 12.30pm.
At the time, police had found cause to search a vehicle driven to the site by Dale, the managing director of a vehicle-wrecking business.
When he got out he left a small “bum bag” on the back passenger seat.
“Inside, police located a set of heavy, brass-coloured knuckledusters within the rear zip pocket area of the bag,” police said.
“The accused acknowledged that he knew it was an offence to possess the item without a permit and indicated to police that the item was kept as a ‘reassurance’, with the accused having been assaulted himself previously.”
Dale was convicted and placed on a two-year community corrections order.
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