Man caught with cannabis wraps hidden in trousers

Neil Clarke was handed a suspended jail sentence at Douglas Courthouse

A man who was caught with nine wraps of cannabis hidden in his trousers has been sentenced.

Neil Clarke, 20, was seen acting suspiciously and "shaking" when police stopped him in a back lane near Bucks Road in Douglas on 1 June.

Douglas Courthouse heard officers found the cannabis, which was worth £168, when they searched him after noticing he smelt strongly of the drug.

Handing him a suspended jail term, Deemster Graeme Cook said he was a "young man who has clearly lost his way" but was "not without hope of getting back onto the right path".

The court heard, when searched by police, he said the drug was "literally just for personal use", but later claimed he was told to collect the cannabis by another person, who he refused to name, and that he had been afraid to say no.

Prosecutors said the number of wraps involved was evidence of intent to supply.

Supervision

The court heard at the time of his arrest Clarke was on probation for a similar drugs offence.

Deemster Cook said while he would take no action over the breach, it was considered an aggravating factor in sentencing.

The deemster told Clarke that cannabis itself could be "addictive and lead to all sorts of problems" and that it "may result in you thinking that it's not enough" which could lead to the use of "harder" drugs.

As a "young man who does need some help" he would benefit from supervision, Deemster Cook added.

Clarke was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years, along with a supervision order for the same period.