Carer's cannabis cure for insomnia lands him in court

Harry William Smith, 25, of Chadburn Road, admitted possessing the drug after police stopped him for speeding at the Tesco petrol station on Jubilee Way South, just after midnight on April 16.

Robert Carr, prosecuting, said two bags of cannabis worth £20 were found in the car.

Bill Soughton, mitigating, said: “He’s had a lot of difficulties sleeping. There is stress and he has found that one of the things that helps him is to have a small amount before going to bed.”

The court heard Smith cared full time for his partially-sighted father, and had also been worried about a pending court case.

Magistrates fined him £80 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a victim surcharge of £30.