Magnet on meter found during drugs search by police

Stephen John McCann (26), Gilpinstown Road, Lurgan, admitted a number of offences last Friday at Craigavon Magistrates Court.

He was sentenced to four months in prison for possession of a class B drug and six months for damaging an electricity meter.

A three month term was imposed for preventing a meter from recording at Drumellan Court in Craigavon.

All the sentences are to run concurrently and were suspended for three years. He was also ordered to pay compensation of £943.93.

The case had been adjourned for a pre-sentence report but the court heard that he had failed to comply on two occasions.

District Judge, Mr Mervyn Bates, said he was not going to give McCann a third chance.

On February 26 this year police carried out a search of an address in Craigavon and found 21 grams of herbal cannabis, bags and scales.

They also found a magnet attached to the electricity meter. McCann admitted the cannabis belonged to him and was for his own personal use.

He said he had an addiction to drugs and used the bags to carry it around with him.

The defendant claimed he had bought the magnet at Nutt’s Corner market and had put it on to slow the meter. He knew it was wrong.

A barrister representing the defendant said McCann was now off drugs and was working full time. He wanted to put all these matters behind him.