A 23-year-old man from Douglas has been jailed for 16 weeks for possessing cocaine and cannabis.

Jason Daniel Claude Smithies, of Broadway, was also fined £800 for four counts of failing to complete income tax returns.

Prosecutor Barry Swain told the court how Smithies had failed to return forms for 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Regarding the drug offences Mr Swain said that Smithies had been stopped in his car while driving with his 15-month-old child and found to have drugs.

Defending Smithies in court advocate Jane Gray said that a probation report had expressed concerns that Smithies had made no plan avoid relapsing into drugs and said that he had previous convictions relating to class A and B drugs.

Ms Gray said: ’At the time of the offences Mr Smithies had an emotional ordeal. He found that period of his life quite difficult. He was suffering from anxiety and depression.

’He reverted to drugs as a coping strategy. He says he doesn’t need professional help regarding his drug taking. This has been quite a wake up call.

’The reason he’s not going to be seeking professional help is, in his own words, because it is not going to be happening again.

’When he looks back on his life he can see drugs have messed it up. He feels he has grown up a lot in the last couple of years.’

Ms Gray went on to say that beach cleaning had been suggested as a form of community service and that Smithies had since been offered drugs but refused them.

The cocaine found was said to be worth £120.

While passing sentence, Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes said: ’You have said your child is your rock but your 15-month-old son was in the car when you were arrested.

’You may want to think about the impact this is having on him.’

The probation report had recommended a community service sentence but Mrs Hughes went on to say that Smithies had received a suspended sentence in 2016, and breached a probation order in 2013.

He was sentenced to 10 weeks’ custody for possessing cocaine and six weeks for possessing cannabis while on bail for the first offence, to run consecutively.

Mrs Hughes also ordered Smithies to file his tax returns within one month saying: ’You will have plenty of time in the Isle of Man prison. There is no reason why they can’t be filed.’