Michael Maurice O’Brien, aged 35, of 18B Mourne Avenue, The Glen, Cork, came to the attention of gardaí on patrol at Middle Glanmire Rd, Cork, in the early hours of the morning.

Garda Stephen Aherne approached and found O’Brien actively looking for something on the ground.

Inspector Mary King said yesterday at Cork District Court that Garda Aherne asked O’Brien what he was doing.

“He said he was looking for a nodge of cannabis,” Insp King said.

O’Brien had dropped it earlier and rather than walking away when the gardaí arrived he told them that he had dropped it and was looking it. And he found it.

Emmet Boyle, defending, said it was an atypical situation. Normally a defendant will drop it in front of the gardaí. He could not have been more honest on the day, he said of O’Brien.

Judge Con O’Leary asked Mr Boyle why O’Brien had not simply walked away. The solicitor said that, as far as the defendant was concerned, he had lost his cannabis and wanted to find it.

The accused had no previous drug convictions.

Judge O’Leary said that if the defendant brought €100 to Cork District Court in a month’s time for a charitable donation the charge would be dismissed under the Probation of Offenders Act.