A 24-year-old man has been put on probation for nine months for obstructing a drug search.

Tyler Jack Snape admitted the offence as well as possessing £58-worth of cannabis.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court that police were on foot patrol on March 17 in Villiers Square in Douglas.

Snape, who lives at Willaston Crescent in Douglas, was detained for a search after officers could smell cannabis.

However, he tried to run off and was restrained on the ground.

A small snap bag containing the drug was found and Snape said: ‘I haven’t done anything wrong. It’s just a bit of cannabis.’

The drug was weighed at 2.9 grams and valued by police at £58.

Mr Swain said that Snape has significant previous convictions so a caution or referral to the drug arrest referral scheme had not been an option.

Defence advocate Jane Gray asked for credit to be given for her client’s guilty pleas and admissions to police.

‘The cannabis was not found on him but near to where he was standing, but he still made admissions,’ said the advocate.

Ms Gray said that Snape used cannabis to self-medicate for anxiety.

Regarding the obstruction, she said that Snape had panicked, but had only managed one step before the officer grabbed his arm and he fell to the ground.

A probation report said that Snape had suffered tragedy in his personal life and had a difficult childhood.

The report said that he suffered from panic attacks, anxiety and depression, and had used cannabis since his early teens.

A probation order was deemed the most suitable sentence as it was said that this would allow probation services to provide support via Motiv8 and mental health services also.

Magistrates sentenced Snape to six months probation for the obstruction offence and three months for the possession, to run consecutively.

No order for prosecution costs was made.