CISTA man on drugs charge

Martin Kelly, Park Road, Portadown, admitted unlawful possession of a class B drug, cannabis, on September 14 last year.

He was fined £150 and also ordered to pay a £15 offender’s levy.

The court heard that on September 10 last year police searched premises which were linked to the defendant.

On September 14 Kelly proffered a small amount of cannabis to police which they had missed when they had been at the premises on a previous occasion.

Mr Conor Downey, representing the defendant, said it was a small amount of cannabis and Kelly had previous convictions.

District Judge, Mr Peter King, said there were slightly unusual circumstances in that Kelly assisted greatly in his own prosecution.

Kelly has been a candidate at local elections in recent years, standing as a Cannabis is Safer than Alcohol (CISTA) candidate.