A 17-year-old Pembroke youth, facing two drug charges, temporarily averted sentencing after Senior Magistrate the Wor. William Francis ordered a social inquiry.

Denton Santucci, charged with possession of cannabis, and intent to supply the drug, plead guilty in front of Mr. Francis in Magistrates' Court yesterday.

"This offence, unless something is shown to me, for this offence you go to prison, the only thing putting the brakes on you going to prison is your age,'' said Mr. Francis.

He called Santucci "a very young man charged with a very serious offence''.

The case has been adjourned until March 24, 1995, when a sentence will likely be handed down.

According to Police prosecutor, Insp. Peter Duffy, Police approached Santucci on October 8, 1994 on Palmetto Road, and found 5.18 grams of cannabis and nine pay-type envelopes, in a carry bag Santucci said belonged to him.

He was then arrested and taken to Hamilton Police Station.

The nine envelopes had been packaged with the cannabis and Santucci told Police he planned to sell the envelopes and their contents for $25 each, said Insp. Duffy.

Acting with a search warrant, Police later seized 35 pay-type envelopes from Santucci's residence.

Bail was set yesterday at $500 plus a like surety.

The inspector also said Santucci had no previous similar convictions.