A man has been jailed for a total of 22-and-a-half months after pleading guilty to possession of cocaine in circumstances denoting it was not for his personal use.

Apart from 18 months in jail for this crime, Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras sent 37-year-old Msida resident Vincent Cucciardi to an extra four-and-a-half months in jail over a crime - wilful damage - committed in 2009 and for which he had been conditionally discharged.

The court heard how Mr Cucciardi was caught in possession of 20 grams of cocaine which were split into seven sachets, ready for sale. He was apprehended within 100 metres from a school or venue where youths congregate.

Handing down her judgment, the magistrate said the accused could not benefit from a reduction in the punishment as the guilty plea was filed almost two years after he was charged. She, therefore, jailed him for 18 months.

Turning to the other charge regarding the breach of a conditional discharge, the magistrate said the accused had been given several chances to reform. He had received reprimands, fines, and, on four occasions, a conditional discharge, giving the court no option but to impose an effective jail term.

She also ordered that the time he spent under arrest over these cases be deducted from the jail term.