vowed to kick the habit faces a social inquiry report.

Demitrius Bird, of Hermitage Road, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply but said he had planned to share the drugs with friends for New Year's Eve and give up the following day.

Bird, 28, had been picked up by Police for a traffic offence on South Road, Paget on December 30 last year.

While the officer spoke to him he was seen to drop a plastic twist of plant material.

A search of his bag revealed he had 28.5 grams of cannabis and one gram of cannabis resin with a total street value of $1,475.

He told officers at the time: "I was scared.'' His lawyer Declan McKervey told Thursday's Plea Court that his client had planned to give up on New Year's Day after buying the drugs for $500.

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner replied: "This confuses me. He plans to give it up a day before stocking up?'' Mr. McKervey said Bird had planned to share it with friends.

Mr. Warner said possession with intent to supply would normally require a custodial sentence, whether the drug was to be given away or not.

"The law will not tolerate the proliferation of drugs, either by sale or sharing.'' The defendant, who has no previous convictions, said he had enrolled in a Benedict Associates drug counselling course in January after being a cannabis smoker for ten years.

But he said his employers The Market Place were not under the programme and that he would have had to pay for the $115-an-hour sessions himself.

Mr. Warner asked: "You have $500 to buy drugs but you can't afford $115 for counselling? Or were these drugs for selling?'' Bird replied: "They weren't for selling.'' He said the sessions would have quickly drained his bank account.

Mr. Warner said: "You prefer the money in the bank and to carry on being a junkie? It won't last very long in any event. I don't believe your story.'' Bird said: "I am willing now.'' To which Mr. Warner replied: "Of course you are now. You are talking to me.'' Mr. Warner said Bird had done nothing in the three months since being caught for the offence.

The defence called for a social inquiry to which Prosecutor Shade Subair had no objections.

Mr. Warner granted the request. Bird was given $1,000 bail with one like surety and will appear in Magistrate's Court on May 3 for sentencing.