Man caught possessing cannabis told police he had the drug ‘because I like it’

Fined: A man possessing a small amount of cannabis while on bail has avoided conviction. Photo by Rodney Braithwaite

Possessing a small amount of cannabis while on bail has landed a Toolamba man in court.

Christopher Mahoney pleaded guilty in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to possessing cannabis and committing an indictable offence while on bail.

Prosecutor Sergeant Kim Thomson said police found 5.09g of cannabis on Mahoney when they stopped him while riding a bicycle in Balaclava Rd, Shepparton, on August 26 last year.

The court heard Mahoney was on bail at the time.

Mahoney, who was 34 at the time, told police he was possessing cannabis “because I like it”.

Representing himself in court Mahoney said he had since stopped smoking, and has completed a drug course at Goulburn Valley Health.

Magistrate Peter Mithen fined Mahoney $400 and ordered for the confiscated cannabis to be destroyed.

No conviction was recorded.