A teenager who agreed to receive a parcel containing cannabis has been handed a suspended sentence.

Sinead O’Brien of Sherwood Terrace, Douglas, was sentenced by Deemster Graeme Cook at the Court of General Gaol Delivery on Friday.

We previously reported that O’Brien, 19, admitted charges of production of the drug to the island and possession when she appeared before High Bailiff Jayne Hughes.

The court heard police intercepted 507g of cannabis worth £10,154 that was addressed to O’Brien at Post Office headquarters on May 22. At her home, O’Brien told police where to find a small amount of cannabis.

Prosecutor Roger Cain said that O’Brien had agreed to receive the parcel for a person not before the court.

Mr Cain said that while she didn’t know what was in the package, O’Brien ’knew’ it would contain an illegal substance. He added that the teenager was in effect acting as a ’mailbox’ for the package.

Defence advocate Louise Cooil said: ’If ever there was a defendant I would say has come to a very stark realisation it is Miss O’Brien.’

Ms Cooil said her client had been attending Motiv8, had ’taken all the steps which probation would normally do’ and distanced herself from her previous peer group.

The court also heard that O’Brien intends to attend a college in England and move on with her life.

Deemster Cook said O’Brien is an ’extremely young and vulnerable’ woman who was ’clearly used by someone else’, but said he was impressed by the letters received by the court both about and by O’Brien.

He added that she was ’very fortunate’ the package contained cannabis as if Class A drugs had been found, she would have been looking at a lengthy prison term.

’You’re 19 years of age, you clearly have a career plan, get on with it. Please take the opportunity I’m giving you to get your life back in order.’

O’Brien was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years.