Drug user fled after being asked to use metal detector at Sunderland train station

Nicky Robson, 36, made his escape bid but was not quick enough to avoid the attention of keen-eyed officers.

Robson, of East Lea, Winlaton, Gateshead, gave the game away by his suspicious actions, magistrates in South Tyneside heard.

Officers shouted for him to stop at the city’s station and quickly caught up with him on Friday, March 11.

Prosecutor Emma O’Hegarty said Robson was searched and seven boxes of diazepam were found in his holdall.

And a further nine boxes of the same class C drug – and a quantity of anxiety medication Pregablin – were located in a jacket pocket.

Mrs O’Hegarty added: “An officer will state that at about 1pm a large group of men entered the station.

“He directed them towards a knife arch. He saw the defendant walk away quickly towards the exit.

“The officer asked the defendant to stop and directed him towards the arch, but he ran in the other direction. He was stopped.”

Robson pleaded guilty to a single charge of possession of a class C controlled drug.

The court was told he has 40 previous convictions from 55 offences, with 14 for drugs crimes but the last similar matter being in 2011.

Alastair Naismith, defending, conceded Robson bought diazepam in cost-effective bulk for personal use.

Mr Naismith added: “He says he bought the diazepam earlier that day to help him to sleep.

“He does have previous convictions for drugs but they are of some age, it’s ten years ago, and four years since he was last in court.

“There’s no suggestion from the police that there was intent to supply.”

Robson was fined £40, with £85 court costs and a £34 victim surcharge, and magistrates ordered the confiscation and destruction of the drugs.