AN Omagh man has paid dearly for being in possession of 0.01 grams of cannabis worth 15p.

AN Omagh man has paid dearly for being in possession of 0.01 grams of cannabis worth 15p.

Piaras Murray (22) of Kevlin Road was fined £250 when he appeared before the Magistrates Court.

On July 13 police stopped a car on the Melmount Road, Sion Mills and noticed a smell of cannabis emanating from the vehicle. They found a small tobacco tin on the dashboard that contained a ‘green leaf’ substance. Murray admitted he owned the tin and its contents.


The Public Prosecution Service stated it was a “very small amount” of the class B drug which was found.

Defence solicitor Michael Fahy said it was in fact one hundredth of a gramme with a value of 15p. He said the trace amount was in the tobacco tin and his client was stopped as he has been on the police radar for a number of years.

Mr Fahy said Murray has been stopped by the PSNI more than 30 times since 2010. He added that the defendant is trying to free himself from the usage of the substance.

Imposing the fine, District Judge Nigel Broderick said, “I will give him the benefit of the doubt. It was a trace amount and may have been an old tin.”