A MAN armed with a taser and baton in a nightclub who was given permission to go on a pre-booked holiday to Tenerife before being sentenced has now been jailed.

Colin Watson, of West Bank Court, Pontypool had previously pleaded guilty to five offences – possession of a prohibited weapon (a taser), having an offensive weapon (extendable baton), the possession of two class A drugs (cocaine and MDMA) and possession of a class B drug (cannabis) – at Cardiff Crown Court.

But the 51-year-old’s sentence was adjourned until yesterday, after Judge Jeremy Jenkins granted permission for him to go on a pre-booked holiday with his partner,

as the Argus previously reported.

Prosecutor Nigel Fryer told the court that Watson was in the Courtyard nightclub in Newport on October 27 2018, when members of staff spotted a “flash” on CCTV.

“Mr Watson had been seen by staff on CCTV using the taser,” he said.

“There was a flash and they went over to him and asked to search him. He became agitated and asked to leave. He did.”

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By the time Watson had moved on to another pub, the Courtyard staff had circulated his details and informed Gwent Police.

“An officer then approached him as he exited the Greyhound,” said Mr Fryer.

“He was obstructive to the police officers and aggressive. He ran away but tripped over and the officers restrained him.”

He added: “The defendant was then interviewed. He said he had found the baton and taser on the floor. It is certainly treated with a degree of scepticism that he found the two things that evening.”

Hashim Salmman, mitigating, stressed that the defendant had not brandished the weapons in a “threatening way”.

He said: “There are no previous weapons-related offences on the defendant’s history.

“The defendant did not brandish the weapons in a threatening way. The last conviction was in 2013 so there has been a relative but not insignificant gap in this defendant’s offending history.

“Three years ago, he was the victim of a nasty stab incident.”

Before sentencing, Judge Jeremy Jenkins explained he had previously granted the defendant bail so he could "say goodbye to his family"

He said: "It was an act of mercy.

"I told you then not to let me down and you did not. You returned today to face the inevitable sentence.

“I must sentence you for a number of serious matters for which you pleaded guilty."

Watson was sentenced to 18 months in prison.