People present in a magistrate's courtroom this morning giggled when Joseph Muscat was fined €140 for the simple possession of cannabis grass.

Even Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras had a smirk of her face as she found the 30-year-old cannabis addict from Marsascala guilty of the simple possession of the drug.

People present in the courtroom waited anxiously as a police officer called Mr Muscat into the courtroom, with many giggling when the man, who was not the Prime Minister, walked in wearing an untucked shirt, a short tie and a scruffy jacket.

In 2011, Mr Muscat had already been convicted of the simple possession of cannabis and had been placed on probation for three years.

Magistrate Galea Sciberras heard that Mr Muscat is currently attending the Assessment Stabilisation Unit which was preparing a plan to help him kick the drug habit. She heard that Mr Muscat had the required motivation to attend a drug rehabilitation programme.

Moreover, the court heard how the substance found in his possession was minimal and that it was obvious it was for his own personal use. As she cleared him of committing a crime during the operative term of the 2011 probation order -since simple possession did not carry a jail sentence - she fined him €140.

Police Inspector Malcolm Bondin prosecuted while lawyer Mark Busuttil appeared for the man.