A pair of dirty black jeans cost a Hamilton Parish man a $500 fine after Police found cocaine in his pocket.

Dhakan Hollis, 34, pleaded guilty to possessing a controlled substance, but told Magistrates' Court the drugs had been in his pants pocket since 2007.

Crown counsel Carrington Mahoney said that on March 29, officers were called to a disturbance in the Radnor Road area.

While investigating the matter they noticed Hollis, who matched the description of someone involved in the matter.

Police stopped and searched Hollis, and in his right pocket, they found a brown bag containing a white substance. Asked about the substance, Hollis said: "I've not taken any drugs since 2007."

Lab tests revealed that the brown bag contained 0.05 grams of cocaine.

In court yesterday, Hollis admitted that he was no stranger to the courts and that he had battled with drug addiction, but insisted that he had been drug free for years.

"It was from before I was in treatment," he said. "I must have just put the jeans in my closet and paid it no mind. I used to have a problem, but I give a urine sample every week."

Magistrate Juan Wolffe replied: "I would think that if those drugs have been in his pants since 2007, it means his pants haven't been washed since 2007.

"I don't accept your story because it doesn't make sense, but I won't hold it against you. Nice try, though."

Mr. Wolffe fined Hollis $500, adding: "The moral of the story is wash your pants."