A Peel man has been fined after pleading guilty to being in possession of the Class A drug cocaine.

Bernard Pearse Leavey, aged 45, of Ballagyr Lane, was fined £1,800 by Deputy High Bailiff Chris Arrowsmith on Thursday. He had pleaded guilty at a previous appearance.

Prosecutor Rachael Braidwood told the court that on October 25, 2019, officers executed a search warrant at an address on Woodbourne Road, Douglas. Leavey told officers that he had drugs on him.

A wrap of white powder was found in his pocket which was later confirmed as cocaine weighing 6.8 grams with a street value of £680. The cocaine was for personal use.

When arrested, he told officers: ’It is what it is.’

The court heard that Leavey is on licence until 2023 for previous drugs-related offences. However Ms Braidwood said the latest offence ’is of a different nature’.

Defence advocate David Clegg said the probation report into his client had not recommended he be recalled to prison and that there was ’no suggestion’ he hadn’t been complying with the probation service since his release from prison.

Leavey has been working as a caretaker and is said to have made great progress.

Mr Clegg said his client regretted the incident which had ’marred’ the progress he has made since he left prison and said it was ’a blip’.

Mr Arrowsmith said that Leavey’s ’full and frank engagement with probation does give him some considerable credit’ and warned him the offence could have seen him returning to prison.

However, he said that Leavey had becomes a ’man of great industry’ who was highly thought of by his employer.

He was fined £1,800 and ordered to pay £125 costs, which he will pay at a rate of £200 per month.