Imprisonment for ‘safe-keeping’ ecstasy

James Tabone from Ħamrun was imprisoned for two and a half years and fined €5000, after the court found him guilty of being in possession of ecstasy.

During a raid in Tabone's residence on 26 March 2008, the police found 113 ecstacy pills hidden in his electricity meter. A cannabis resin was also discovered in his bedroom and €730 were seized from the accused.

The accused admitted the resin was for his personal use, purchased for €23. Regards the ecstacy pills, he said he was keeping them safe for a particular individual, being paid around €80 to do this.

Tabone said this individual gave him between 100 and 250 pills weekly.

The court heard Mike Orland from Aġenzija Appoġġ who described Tabone as a reformed man and father after following a drug rehabilitation programme.

Magistrate Miriam Hayman said that since he successfully completed the rehabilitation programme, she was not going to punish the accused on having committed the crime during a suspended sentence.

Nonetheless, Tabone was convicted to two and a half years imprisonment, fined him €5000 and ordered the forfeiture of the €730 found in his possession.