A 25-year-old Cospicua man was given the shortest prison term allowed by law after he admitted with the police to selling drugs for the first time seven years ago.

Biern Farrugia admitted to selling six ecstasy pills shortly before being caught by the police with another four pills in his pocket on New Year's Day in 2008.

He pleaded guilty to the charges and Magistrate Marseann Farrugia sentenced him to six months in prison and fined him €1,500.

The court heard that Mr Farrugia was caught during an inspection by the police drug squad in a bar in Paceville. He was found in possession of four ecstasy pills and €335 in cash.

In his statement to the police, he admitted that the pills were his and that he had sold six pills earlier that evening. He also admitted that the cash was his.

He told the police he had been consuming ecstasy for three years and that it was the first time he had ever sold drugs.

His defence lawyers complained that the only evidence of drug trafficking the police had in hand was his statement and that, since it was released at a time when suspects had no access to a lawyer, it should be considered as inadmissible evidence.

However, the court noted that, although the accused had never been interrogated by the police before, he could not be considered to be a vulnerable person.

He was over 18 years old when the case happened and he only made the legal complaint three years into the compilation of evidence against him.

Magistrate Farrugia considered his clean criminal record and the fact that this was the first time he had sold drugs.

She noted that the court was legally bound to impose an effective prison term. Police Inspector Pierre Grech prosecuted.