A MAN has been fined after he intimidated a child and pulled out a screwdriver which he used to "clean his crack pipe".

Matthew Stevens, of Blue Cedars in Bournemouth, was under the influence of drugs when he approached a 16-year-old in Salisbury city centre at 10pm on November 4, 2022.

At a hearing at Salisbury Magistrates Court on March 10 the court heard that the 22-year-old asked if the child had any drugs or knew any dealers before going on a "rant about an item in his bag with concern he may hurt someone".

Stevens moved further down the road and pulled a screwdriver out of his bag which he said he used to "clean out his crack pipe".

His behaviour was "sufficiently concerning" for the 16-year-old to call the police and Stevens was arrested shortly afterwards.

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He pleaded guilty to breaching Section 5 of the Public Order Act for threatening behaviour.

The court heard that Stevens had suffered from psychotic behaviour and was detained in a mental health facility between the ages of 15 and 19.

After being released, he was prescribed an anti-psychotic drug on the highest dose which affected his white blood cell count and was "killing his immune system".

Stevens was taken off clozapine without weening and resorted to using crack cocaine and heroin.

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Bob Scott, defending, argued Stevens had used the screwdriver to "clean out his crack pipe", adding: "One needs to scrape the crack pipe clean before the next dose.

"But as I’m not an expert I wouldn’t know."

Since the incident, Stevens had been given depot injections, which is a slow-release form of antipsychotic medication, with the hope to put an end to his class-A drug usage.

He has also been working with We Are With You, a charity which helps individuals battling drug addiction.

Stevens was ordered to pay a total of £141, which included a £40 fine, and the court ordered for the screwdriver to be destroyed.