A man who possessed cannabis resin with intent to supply, possessed cannabis resin, and being a prohibited person had in his possession a sawn-off air rifle, has been jailed for a total of three years by Deemster Doyle.

40 year old Frank John Thomas of Belmont Terrace, Douglas, admitted the three offences, all committed on December 21st 2005 at two flats on Belmont Terrace.

Stuart Peters reports

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Police with a search warrant visited the defendant at his flat on Belmont Terrace at 7.30 am

Thomas was in bed and he told them he had cannabis in a safe in the living room. The quantity was 125.4 grammes.

Police then attended another flat at another property in Belmont Terrace where they found seven bars of cannabis resin weighing one and three quarter kilos. The sawn-off air rifle, pellets and gas cartridges were found in Thomas's flat.

Mr Carle said Thomas was banned from possessing firearms because he had served a custodial sentence. Thomas told police he was paid ?200 for 'minding' the cannabis resin. He was given ?200 worth of cannabis resin for his own use, and he had a drugs debt of ?200 written off.

Deemster Doyle said cannabis introduced young people into harder drugs and people caught could expect heavy sentences.

Thomas was ordered to forfeit ?600 as a result of drug trafficking.