University of Portsmouth student jailed after being caught with cocaine, cannabis and knuckle duster at Astoria nightclub

Dwayne Rozario, 22, was searched by Astoria security after they spotted he had a joint tucked behind his ear in the Guildhall Walk venue.

The University of Portsmouth second year had a second cannabis joint in his pocket, five small amounts of cocaine weighing 1.59g at 28 per cent purity, and £855 in cash.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard Rozario, who has no previous convictions, claimed he had the knuckle duster on him after visiting his sister in London and had forgotten he had it.

Police were called to the nightclub on February 9 and he was arrested. He told police he had ‘two grammes of cocaine for me and my friends’.

At Rozario’s home officers found a cannabis deals list. He admitted being concerned in the supply of a class A drug, having cannabis, a class B drug, and having an offensive weapon in court in December last year.

A charge alleging the cash was linked to dealing drugs was dropped at his trial in March after he told police it was birthday and student loan money. A judge ordered the forfeiture of the cash.

Robin Leach, defending, said Rozario was not a commercial drug dealer and had the cocaine for social supply to friends.

‘He’s seen rather stupidly with a cannabis joint round his ear, he’s seen by the doorman who searches him and finds the small amount of cocaine,’ he said.

‘There’s not evidence at all that he’s handing over money.’

Mr Leach said Rozario, of Zermatt Road, Croydon, would suffer in prison particularly restrictions put in place during lockdown.

Rozario suffers from stress-related alopecia, had been suspended from his degree course and found the justice system ‘extremely difficult,’ Mr Leach said.

He added: ‘Clearly this has taken its toll on the defendant.’

But judge David Melville QC said it was an ‘extremely serious offence’ and added: ‘This requires an immediate prison sentence of 16 months in total.’

Rozario will serve half his term. His mother wept in the public gallery as he was led down.

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