A young man caught with cannabis in his car was already on bail for two previous drugs offences a court was told.

Prosecutor Hazel Carroon said Robert George Turner was awaiting sentence on the first two offences when the third occurred.

The 21-year-old, from Ballanard Road, Douglas, was caught by police parked up at Carnane transmitter on February 11. He was searched and a grinder containing a trace of what he accepted was cannabis bush ’for personal use’ was found.

It contained 0.6 grammes of cannabis worth £6, the court heard.

Miss Carroon said Turner’s car was previously searched on October 30 last year. She said the defendant’s blue Ford Fiesta was pulled over and police noted a cannabis aroma wafting from it. Police found two ecstasy tablets, 284 milligrammes in total weight, worth £20.

Subsequently, at 2.40am on January 15, staff at the Outback approached police on Barrack Street in Douglas saying they thought the defendant had cannabis in the club. Police searched him and he admitted having a grinder with cannabis in it. This was confiscated.

Police ’formed the opinion’ the defendant may be drunk, she said.

Nothing more was found on him but when searched, he directed a stream of invective at police then told them: ’Swearing isn’t illegal.’

He thenswore as he walked away.

Police arrested him.

He repeated the same comment which police duly copied into their notebooks, Miss Carroon told the court.

A total of 0.7 grammes of cannabis was found on him, which this time was valued at £3.50.

He admitted two offences of possessing cannabis and one of possessing MDMA (or ecstasy). He also admitted being drunk and disorderly on January 15.

Defending Turner, Ian Kermode suggested that a combination order could be the best approach, given that the bench was not considering prison and the defendant was out of a job and therefore would face difficulty paying any fine.

Magistrates’ chairman Lisa Horton told him: ’You say you have yet to make a decision to change your lifestyle, but you have lost your job as an IT engineer so that’s evidence of its negative effect.

’You are very lucky to have family who are willing to help and support you. Shouting obscenities in public is not acceptable in a civilised world.’

He was sentenced to a combination order comprising 12 months’ probation along with 80 hours’ doing unpaid work in the community.

He must pay costs of £300 and a forfeiture and destruction order was made in relation to the drugs.