A CRIMINAL who uses the alias of Jammy Dodger has been jailed after his luck finally ran out.

Ashley Walton was caught carrying a knife which was concealed inside a fake credit card when police nicked him outside a hotel in Devon.

He claimed the card came as a free gift with a novelty wallet which he bought from the Chinese internet site Ali Baba but a Judge ruled that it didn’t give him a crumb of an excuse.

He appeared in the dock at Exeter Crown Court wearing dark glasses and a hat. He said was allowed to keep the glasses on after saying he needed to wear them for medical reasons.

He has previously appeared at the same court under the name of Jammy Dodger but charges of possessing a stun gun and pepper spray were dropped after a co-defendant admitted them.

Walton, also known as Jammy Dodger, aged 44, of Gershon Road, Paignton, admitted possessing a blade in a public place and was jailed for six months by Recorder Mr Richard Stead.

He told him: 'The fact that this item may have come as a surprise gift does not assist you in any respect. It is not suggested you used the knife on this or any other occasion. You were carrying a bladed article and it was unlawful.'

Mr Thomas Faulkner, prosecuting, said police were called to the Travel Lodge on Sidmouth Road, Exeter, on August 14, 2020, because staff were worried that Walton was sharing a room with an under aged girl.

He was seen smoking outside and later found with the knife in his wallet. The girl turned out to be over 16 and no further action was taken about that.

Mr Stephen Nunn, defending, said the case has taken almost three years to come to sort out because Walton believed the knife was legal as it had arrived as a free gift inside the novelty wallet which he bought online.

He said the wallet is designed with a trigger which leads the cars inside it to fan out like a deck of cards. The police had taken no further action over the allegation that led to his arrest.

The knife was similar to those which were sold as paint scrapers for three for £5 by B&Q until a few years ago.

Mr Nunn said Walton has previous convictions but almost all are 20 years old. He is now living on Universal Credit at supported housing.