A MAGISTRATE has slammed a man’s excuse for carrying a taser around in public as “complete nonsense” and “utter rubbish”.

Zeb Levi Nye was charged with possessing a prohibited weapon without a permit after a search of him in police cells on Monday afternoon uncovered a taser disguised as a mobile phone.

Earlier that day, he had been jailed by Magistrate Michael Holmes for nine months for carrying a knife in a public place after he said he needed it for self-defence.

Nye appeared in the dock of Tamworth Local Court yesterday morning to answer the fresh charge and pleaded guilty.

Nye’s Legal Aid solicitor told the court Nye uses the taser to “zap himself” in the morning to “wake up” and suffers from short term memory loss.

“It is for himself,” she told the court.

But Mr Holmes flatly rejected the excuse and jailed Nye for nine months with a minimum of six months behind bars.

“His explanation is complete nonsense, I don’t accept it, it is rubbish,” he said.

“He says he uses it to charge himself.

“Worst still he was in court (on Monday) with a taser. It is rubbish, it is a prohibited weapon.”

The taser has been forfeited to authorities.