Man caught with cocaine and MDMA in Shropshire told to pay £320
A man caught in possession of small quantities of illegal substances has been ordered to pay more than £300 in fines and costs.
Jason Solomon, 30, was arrested in Shropshire two years ago.
But following a police investigation the matter was sent to the crown court instead of magistrates, where such cases are normally heard.
On Monday, at Shrewsbury, he pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of class A drugs on September 26, 2018.
Mr Neil Ahuja, prosecuting, said: "The defendant and another male came to the attention of the police at about 10.30pm and they were stopped.
"Checks of a container on the floor and of his man bag uncovered diamorphine wrapped inside three cigarette papers, four wraps of cocaine and one MDMA wrap.
"There was then a delay in the investigation of a phone for which the defendant did not supply a pin."
He said Solomon has seven prior convictions including robbery as a juvenile.
The latest matter was for dangerous driving committed the day after he was arrested in Shropshire for which he was subsequently jailed.
Miss Balvinder Bhatti, mitigating for Solomon, said the drugs matter was an isolated incident and a fine was an appropriate punishment.
Judge Anthony Lowe told him: "You keep flirting with criminal conduct. You need to break the cycle.
"These are not the most serious offences, but plainly it got to the stage when the police were wondering whether you were drug dealing.
"I am prepared to deal with this by way of a fine."
Unemployed Solomon, of Handsworth, Birmingham, was fined £175, ordered to pay costs £145 and a victims' surcharge.
The judge also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs.
