Man, 23, jailed for possessing ecstasy

A 23-year-old man was yesterday jailed for seven months and fined €600 after being found guilty of possessing 18 ecstasy pills when he was 18 years old.

Charles Muscat had been stopped by the police in front of the Eden Ice Arena on November 13, 2004 and they found the ecstasy pills in a plastic container near the gear lever of his car.

A friend of Mr Muscat, Keith Scicluna, testified that after finishing work he was picked up by Mr Muscat and they were on the way to his house when they were stopped by the police.

He said he did not know that Mr Muscat was carrying the drugs at the time but Mr Muscat told him he had managed to buy some pills at a good price. In a statement to the police, Mr Muscat had said he bought the pills but had not used the drug for around three months before being caught.

Noting the number of pills found in his possession, Magistrate Lawrence Quintano jailed him for seven months and fined him €600.