A man caught in possession of 37 grams of heroin has been sentenced to four years in jail for aggravated possession of the illegal substance.

Duncan Scerri, 40, from St Paul’s Bay, was also fined €3,000 and ordered to pay €600 in court expenses.

The police were monitoring his residence and, on April 29, 2006, they raided the apartment and found 37 grams of heroin as well as other drug paraphernalia, including digital weighing scales. The police also found €815 in cash.

Mr Scerri insisted the money was his, saying he was unemployed and lived on social benefits amounting to €60 a week.

He testified that he was a drug user with the court noting the haul was enough to last 24 days. Magistrate Marseann Farrugia ruled it did not make sense that a drug addict would buy so much heroin in advance, especially when he was not gainfully occupied. She therefore ruled that the heroin was not for his exclusive use.

Police Inspector Nezren Grixti prosecuted.