morning'' yesterday when he gave him a suspended sentence for handling drugs.

Mr. Warner heard a sad tale of a teenage boy under the influence of a drug dealing father and godfather before giving Shakai Crockwell a one year prison sentence for handling $2,165 worth of cannabis.

Mr. Warner then paused for more than 30 seconds, all the while staring at Crockwell before saying he would suspend the sentence, adding without smiling: "This is your lucky morning.

"This is a lucky break. You've convinced me. I had intentions of sending you to prison today,'' Mr. Warner told the 17-year-old of Happy Valley Road.

"But taking into consideration your age and your frankness in this matter that's my sentence,'' he added. "But don't come back again!'' Crockwell pleaded guilty to the charge of handling with intent to supply.

Crown counsel Larry Mussenden told Mr. Warner that Police stopped and searched Aaron Williams' cycle on June 9 last year.

They found two brown paper bags containing 43.3 grams of cannabis.

During questioning, Williams told Police that Crockwell asked him to hold the two packages while they and several friends were parked at a Hamilton gas station.

Mr. Mussenden said Williams admitted it was Crockwell who placed the cannabis in a compartment of the cycle.

Williams was caught by Police in a traffic stop later that night.

During the Police investigation last June -- during which he was found with drugs -- Crockwell denied knowledge of the drugs and only admitted the offence to officers in January.

During the mitigation phase of the hearing, Mr. Warner rebuffed Mr. Mussenden and Crockwell's mother's attempts to get a social inquiry report.

He asked Crockwell and his mother pointed questions about the youth's life.

"If you could just look into his life,'' Crockwell's mother pleaded. "He's finished with that. He was trying to protect his father and god-father.'' Crockwell told Mr. Warner he was "done with all that'' and he was changed after having a child of his own. He also intends to move from his father's legal guardianship in November when he turns 18.

When Mr. Warner heard that Crockwell was attending CedarBridge Academy at the time, he said: "I don't always believe what The Royal Gazette says.

"But it seems that every day they're doing something else at CedarBridge other than teaching.

"Every day someone is in here for selling drugs or fighting,'' he continued.

"But I'm giving you another chance.'' The fine must be paid by the end of the month.