A MAN who was found to have drugs at a North Wales hotel produced a knife during an incident at the foyer.

He held a fire extinguisher in one hand and a knife in the other, covered by a T-shirt.

When arrested, drugs were found in his room which the defendant Steven Paul Martin believed was M-CAT which if true would have been valued at up to £70,000.

Steven Paul Martin, 31, of Glanrafon Road in Mold admitted attempted possession of drugs with intent to supply, possessing a blade in public and offering to supply class C drugs back in June 2017.

Martin, who had since been sectioned under the Mental Health Act and who had served a subsequent prison sentence, was now doing well on licence after his release.

It was claimed that Mold Crown Court that it would have a devastating effect on his mental health if he was returned to custody at this stage.

He received a 14 month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, with rehabilitation.

The court was told his mental health meant he was not fit for unpaid work or a curfew.

Judge Niclas Parry said Martin was involved in serious criminality.

He was out and about selling drugs to the value of £20,000 – although he himself believed he had drugs worth £70,000.

"You were armed with a knife which you would no doubt have used if you had been confronted," the judge told him.

Under the guidelines he could be jailed for up to three years, Judge Parry said.

But the offences were two years ago, he had been in prison subsequently for different offending, and he was making what was described as remarkable progress in addressing his mental health issues on licence after his release.

A custodial sentence at this stage would be devastating for him and in those exceptional circumstances the judge said he was willing to suspend the sentence.

Barrister Anna Price, prosecuting, told how in June 2017 the defendant was a guest at The Premier Inn at Rhuddlan.

An employee saw him behaving erratically, he left his car immediately outside the foyer and he was demanding to be let in.

It was seen on CCTV that Martin was carrying something in his hand, covered by clothing.

The prosecutor said it was not known what it was and staff, fearing it could be a gun, refused entry.

It was alleged he was "not making any sense" when he was speaking and he pushed the fire alarm.

Staff used a panic button to alert police and when officers arrived Martin was still in the doorway of the hotel.

He was agitated, unpredictable and appeared under the influence of something.

Martin was holding a fire extinguisher in one hand and a knife in the other, covered by a T-shirt.

He put them down when a police officer drew his taser and he was handcuffed.

Damage had been caused to the main entrance door.

His room was searched and a mixture of class B drugs were found.

Their street value would have been just under £20,000 but in interview Martin said he believed it was M-CAT.

He accepted sending texts offering to supply M-CAT and the prosecutor said if it had been that drugs, the street value could have been as much as £70,000.

Texts were found on his phone offering to sell oral steroids.

He was taken to hospital and had not been fit for interview until July of last year.

Martin told how he suffered a psychological episode on the day and could not remember carrying the knife.

He said he probably had it to protect himself because he suffered from paranoia.

Martin said the drugs had been given to him by someone he refused to name as payment for building a wall.

He told how he was addicted to M-CAT at the time and would have taken some himself and would have given some away.

Barrister Maria Massellis, defending, did not mitigate when the judge indicated the sentence he had in mind.