A Pembroke Dock man has been fined in court for possessing cannabis and failing to attend probation appointments.
Forty-five-year-old Mark Ion, of Meyrick Street, pleaded guilty to possessing 0.1 grammes of cannabis when he appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday. He also admitted breaching the terms of a post custody sentence, by failing to attend probation appointments, following his release from prison after serving 14 weeks for assaulting a police officer last year.
Prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard-Jones told the court that police officers on duty in Pembroke Dock on February 19, noticed Mr. Ion appearing unsteady on his feet, with a smell of cannabis emanating from his clothing.
“He was searched and was found to be in possession of the drug. As you can see from his record, it’s not the first time he’s been charged for this offence,” explained Mr. Pritchard-Jones.
Defence solicitor Jonathan Webb told the court that the drugs matter spoke for itself, but that the reason he hadn’t attended probation appointments was because he had been staying with friends away from his home address and didn’t receive the correspondence.
Magistrates fined Mr. Ion £80 for each offence, and ordered him to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a £30 victim surcharge. A destruction order for the drugs was also passed.