A 34-year-old actuarial assistant who pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis was yesterday given a conditional discharge when he appeared in Magistrates' Court.

Brian Davis, a father-of-three, was driving his blue motorcycle along Mullet Bay Road in St. George's, on September 27 last year when Police stopped him.

They noticed that Davis was fidgeting with his left pocket and was reluctant to get off his bike. A sniffer dog found plant material in a zip lock bag. Government analysts later identified it as 5.78 grams of marijuana.

In court yesterday Davis' lawyer, Jaymo Durham, argued that Davis, of Happy Valley Lane, Pembroke, was an upstanding citizen and a role model for all Bermudians.

He said: "He is one of only a few Bermudians who occupy that post (an actuarial assistant). He has no previous convictions.

"Mr. Davis is aware his actions were wrong and he is embarrassed to be in front of the court on this manner. We would ask the court to take in consideration it was a small amount; it was for his personal use.

"This type of behaviour was completely out of character for Mr. Davis. Mr. Davis is a role model to his children and to other Bermudians thinking about going into this specialised profession."

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner warned Davis that the possible punishment for this type of offence was a $1,000 fine or one year imprisonment. And Mr. Warner railed against the view that the possession of drugs was viewed as a minor offence before giving Davis a conditional discharge.

He said: "This court is governed by what the superior courts said about it. These superior courts have consistently said that possession of drugs in Bermuda is a serious offence.

"However the courts or this court and any other must also be guided by the various sentencing regulations. I must be guided by his professional circumstances. He must have worked hard to achieve what he has achieved."

Mr. Warner sentenced Davis to a conditional discharge for 12 months.