A Smith's man was fined in Magistrates' Court after Police found him with a glass bottle containing a trace amount of cocaine.

Jahmeco Blakeney, 30, of Astwood Lane, pleaded guilty to illegally possessing drug equipment. Crown counsel Cindy Clarke said Police received a report of suspicious activity in a taxi on May 14 around 3.15 a.m.

Police stopped the taxi and found Blakeney inside with a black backpack. Inside the bag was a small Absolut Vodka bottle that had been modified with metal mesh. Lab tests later confirmed a trace amount of cocaine inside the bottle. Blakeney has no prior drug convictions but was described by Ms Clarke as someone "well-known to court".

He has spent time in prison for 21 counts of cheque kiting Blakeney transferred non-existent funds between two Bank of Bermuda accounts to artificially inflate the bank balance.

He was also convicted of a break-in at Clearwater Middle School. Blakeney told Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner that he had used the bottle to do drugs, but said he had been "talking about getting clean".

Mr. Warner fined him $400, telling him: "As long as you continue to fool yourself, and you're not fooling me, you're going to continue being in trouble."