A 20-year-old man admitted to possession of marijuana but swore he did not know it was in the cigarette packet he was holding.

Lloyd Maurice Parker, of Harvest Lane, Hamilton Parish, said on Thursday in Magistrates' Court that the cigarette packet containing the drug was not his and that he would have thrown it away when Police were chasing the motorbike he was on, if he had known marijuana was in it.

Crown counsel Cindy Clarke told the court that Police saw the defendant throw a Marlboro cigarette box on West Side Road, Sandys. The box contained a plastic twist with plant like material, a home made cigarette, and tobacco cigarettes.

The twist and home made cigarette were found to contain 1.29 grams of cannabis, Ms Clarke said.

Parker told the court that he got a ride from a man he did not know very well, who overtook a Police car and then a chase ensued to West Side Road.

“I do smoked cigarettes and I asked a guy for one - he gave me the pack,” said Parker.

He said that after they crashed the Police came but the driver of the bike had already run off.

“I held on to the box - I would have thrown it if I knew what it was,” he added.

Parker told the court that he gave all the information he could to Police about the guy who took off.

“I didn't run because I had no reason to run,” Parker said.

Parker told the court that in 20 years he had never got in trouble.

Senior Magistrate Archie Warner replied: “A lot of people don't reach 20 without a conviction.”

Mr. Warner decided to give Parker a chance and ordered a social inquiry report to help him with his sentencing decision.

Mr. Warner said he was reluctant to give a criminal conviction before further examination of the matter.

Mr. Warner adjourned the matter until December 1 and set bail at $1,000 with one surety.

“I am willing to give you a chance after I look at this a bit closer and see what the probation officers think,” Mr. Warner said.

Fishing restrictions breached

A fisherman has been fined $500 after being caught with three black rock fish in his boat on September 29.

Stewart Minors, 70, of Clarendon Lane, Hamilton Parish pleaded guilty to the offence in Magistrates' Court yesterday.

Fishermen are limited to having only one such fish in their possession in a 24-hour period. The maximum penalty is a $5,000 fine and/or a 12-month jail sentence. Minors had been warned by Marine Police in July about the offence.

The fish are worth $12 a pound.

Teen admits stealing moped

A Devonshire teenager has been remanded in custody after pleading guilty to stealing a moped from a Hesitation Lane, Devonshire home earlier this month.

The court heard that Darren Anglin, 18, of Alexandra Road, had a string of bike theft convictions before he stole Ryan Flood's Yamaha V50 bike overnight on October 6.

But he was seen on it a day later by Police in Harbour Road. Anglin accelerated away and sped the wrong way up one-way Stowe Hill where he dropped the bike when he couldn't get it on to the Railway Trail.

Police found him at the A1 grocery store, Paget later that afternoon and Anglin confessed to stealing the bike. He was first convicted of stealing a bike in 2000 and the following year stole another four bikes.

He will reappear for sentencing on November 19 after a social inquiry report.