A heroin addict who had two stun guns in his kitchen cupboard has been jailed for a month.

Jeris Ryan, who also had a small quantity of heroin, was found with the weapons when police raided his Toothill home on a drugs warrant.

After hearing how the 21-year-old had a string of previous convictions including possessing class A drugs, serious assault and having an offensive weapon, a judge jailed him.

Swindon Crown Court was told how the police went to the house shortly after 8am on Thursday, June 17. Simon Brenchley, prosecuting, said: "There they found Mr Ryan lying on some bedding in the living room with a female.

"A search was carried out and a number of items were seized.

"In the kitchen there was a carrier bag and inside it were two black stun guns. Also, in the living room on the floor was a small clear plastic bag containing brown powder."

He said that was found to be 0.8 grams of heroin with a street value of about £80.

The stun guns, which did not have batteries in them, had two electrodes protruding from the handle, the court heard.

A firearms officer with the Wiltshire force had examined them and said they could deliver a shock, through clothing, strong enough to knock a man to the floor and render him temporarily incapable.

Mr Brenchley said "The defendant said that he found them in a plastic bag in the cupboard a month before. He had handled them and had no idea how they got there.

"As for the heroin, he accepted that it was his and indicated that he had a drugs habit and was registered disabled because of that."

The court was told that Ryan had a long list of previous convictions and was on a probation order for a burglary conviction at the time of the police raid.

Ryan, of Beaulieu Close, pleaded guilty to two firearms offences and possessing heroin, a class A drug.

Sue Evans, defending, said that her client had found the stun guns in his kitchen about a month before, but had not used them.

She said that a number of other people were allowed to use his house and he suspected one of them had left the weapons.

Jailing him for a month Recorder Ian Lawrie said "Well if you didn't know before you know now what these things are."

He also ordered that the stun guns and heroin be confiscated and destroyed.

Tina Clarke