A father of three elected to pay a fine rather than spend six months in prison for having heroin in Pembroke.

Kris C. Martin, 38, of St. John?s Hill, Pembroke was fined $700 in Magistrates? Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to possessing heroin on September 20.

Crown counsel Wayne Caines said Police stopped a car travelling west on Parsons Road when Martin was seen to be fidgety, sweating heavily and clenching something in his left hand.

When Martin tried to conceal something under the car seat, Police found a silver fold containing greyish powder, Mr. Caines said.

?It?s heroin man. I?m a junkie,? Martin told Police. ?I would have disrespected you and sniffed it in front of you ? but I didn?t.?

After analysis Martin was found to be carrying 0.6 grams of diamorphine.

Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo ordered Martin to pay $700, as well as $80 in outstanding fines, by the end of business on Friday or spend six months in prison as default.

At first, Martin said he would do the time, rather than pay the fine but then asked for more time to pay because of his children as he was the father of one-month old twin girls and a two year-old boy.

?You wouldn?t be doing this nonsense if you cared for your children,? Mr. Tokunbo replied, before giving Martin until February 10 to pay his fine.