A FIRST-TIME drug offender pleaded guilty to two offences of Class A drug possession.
Connor Escourt, 19, of Bristol, attended Aberystwyth Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (Aug 31) for two offences he committed on August 12, where he had 0.1g of Diamorphine and 0.37g of cocaine.
Prosecutor Kevin Challinor told the court that on August 12 at 2.30pm, officers on duty were patrolling in an unmarked vehicle on North Parade in Aberystwyth.
When they approached the defendant, they conducted a routine search and found seven bags with white powder in Escourt’s underwear.
Escourt cooperated with the police and when the drugs were examined by a drugs officer, the results came back positive.
Mr Challinor told the court that in interview, Escourt said that he was on a break from Bristol and wanted to try taking drugs. He also told officers that he bought them for his own personal use.
Duty Solicitor Alison Mathias addressed the court to say that she apologised to the court on Escourt’s behalf, and when he was approached by the officers, he gave a full and frank admission.
Ms Mathias added that Escourt came to Aberystwyth from Bristol to clear his head and was told by a friend that Aberystwyth would be a place of relaxation, particularly with the beaches nearby. He believed that the drugs would help him with his problems and it was when he went to get food that he was stopped by the police.
When asked in an interview what he was going to do with the drugs, the defendant said he was going to try them for the first time. When asked how he was going to use them, the defendant said he had been told how to take the drugs.
Ms Mathias concluded by saying, fortunately, Escourt did not take any of the drugs.
Magistrates told the defendant that, considering the drugs were of a small amount, they were to impose a Band C fine, reduced from £180 to £120 for his early guilty plea.
Magistrates also ordered the defendant to pay a total of £115 in court costs and made a destruction order for the drugs.
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