A Ramsey man who wrapped up cannabis stalks and buds as Christmas presents for his friends has been ordered to perform 160 hours of community service.
Shane Maximilian Skelly, of Tower Road, was also ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs.
We previously reported in the Manx Independent how Skelly, who is 38, had pleaded guilty to three offences of cannabis possession, cannabis possession with intent to supply and possession of psilocybin mushrooms.
He returned to court this week for sentencing.
Deputy HighBailiff Jayne Hughes heard how police had stopped Skelly while he was driving on Main Road in Onchan on December 23. His eyelids were said to be heavy and it was suspected that he had been using cannabis. Skelly admitted that he had a small bag of the drug in his rucksack.
A later search of Skelly’s home found a jar of cannabis, two snap bags of the drug, a plastic box containing dried mushrooms and £310 in cash.
Small packages of cannabis buds and stalks were also found wrapped in Christmas paper with ’Merry Christmas’ written on them.
In a police interview Skelly said he was a social user of the drug and also used it for back pain.
He said he was going the give the wrapped stalks and buds to friends who he knew used the drug.
Skelly said he bought the drugs on the black market but picked he mushrooms himself locally. He said that the £310 was wages from a part-time job and was not from selling drugs.
The weight of the wrapped cannabis was 19.8 grams, said to have a street value of £396.
The other cannabis at the flat weighed 49.6 grams and was valued at £992.
The mushrooms weighed 4.6 grams and were said to be worth no more than £10.
A probation report rated Skelly as a low risk of causing harm to others and a low risk of reoffending and recommended community service.
Defending him in court advocate David Clegg said: ’My client does have previous for speeding but some time ago. He couldn’t have co-operated more. It would’ve been easy to give a ’no comment’ interview but he co-operated throughout.
’His first child is due in May. The cannabis was being given to friends. It was an inappropriate Christmas gift.’
Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes sentenced Skelly to 160 hours for possession with intent to supply, 160 hours for possession of the mushrooms and 60 hours for cannabis possession, all three terms to run concurrently.