A Douglas man has been fined £200 by magistrates after admitting possessing £36.47 worth of cannabis.

Ryan Ali Mahmoud El Meligy, of Castle Street, pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing class B drugs and was fined £100 for each offence.

He was arrested after the drugs were found at his house in Castle Street and also ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs.

Prosecutor Barry Swain told the court how, on April 7 at 9pm, police executed a search warrant at El Meligy’s address.

Officers located cannabis bush and resin in the bathroom and kitchen. El Meligy attended a voluntary interview and admitted the cannabis was his for personal use.

Defence advocate Peter Taylor asked for credit to be given to his client for his guilty pleas and co-operation with the police.

The advocate said: ’The police have said it was a small amount of drugs.

’The search warrant appears to have been granted based in intelligence that turned out to be false. Police entered the premises on the basis of false information. They didn’t knock. The circumstances are probably quite traumatic.

’Mr El Meligy does have previous convictions for cannabis. The probation report says he has struggled with drink and taken drugs but he has realised he has to take a different path with his life.’

Mr Taylor went on to say that El Meligy had completed 180 hours of community service which he had been sentenced to last year.

’Probation have said it would appropriate to bring him back for community service and he is such low risk, a probation order is not appropriate,’ said Mr Taylor.

’A fine is the most appropriate way of dealing with this. He has paid a fine previously with the help of his father and is paying him back.’