Casey Lance Whitworth in court for possessing drug paraphernalia

A young Central Queensland man claimed he did not use or own drug paraphernalia that was found inside a sports bag among his clothes.

A young Bouldercombe man claimed he did not use or own drug paraphernalia that was found inside a sports bag among his clothes, a court has heard.

Casey Lance Whitworth, 20, pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on October 19 to one count of possessing utensils or pipes for use.

Police prosecutor Stacey Bain said police were conducting patrols in Berserker on September 22 about 9.30pm when they saw a vehicle driving slowly and doing U-turns close to houses associated with illicit drug activity.

Police intercepted the vehicle and spoke with the driver and four passengers, who told police they were not from Rockhampton and provided various responses as to why they were in town.

Casey Lance Whitworth appeared in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on October 19 charged with one count of possessing utensils or pipes for use.

Police searched the vehicle after smelling burnt marijuana inside and observing the driver to appear to be nervous and passengers fidgeting and moving items around in the rear seat.

Inside a sports bag belonging to Whitworth, police found an electric grinder, set of digital scales, a glass jar and container that had remnants of a green leafy material that looked and smelt like marijuana.

Whitworth told police the items had been used in connection with marijuana but claimed they did not belong to him and that he came into possession of them after he cleaned a house he had been living in with another man.

Defence lawyer Samantha Legrady said while her client had the drug paraphernalia in his possession, he did not claim use or ownership of them.

Whitworth was fined $250 with no criminal conviction recorded.