A HIGHWORTH motorist has been fined £500 for his fifth offence involving cannabis.

Omara Chand Tagu Miah, 27, of Queens Avenue, appeared before District Judge Simon Cooper at Swindon Magistrates' Court charged with possession of 1.5 grammes of cannabis.

Kate Prince, prosecuting, told the court police had stopped Miah in his car on April 21 this year because they had smelled cannabis.

Miah gave the police two small plastic containers holding a total of 1.5 grammes of cannabis, which he said was for his personal use.

The vehicle was searched but no more of the drug was found and a test for driving under the influence of cannabis was negative.

Graham Cooper, defending, said the amount of the drug was very small and Miah had co-operated with police and made a full admission.

Miah did not drink but did smoke cannabis socially on occasion, Mr Cooper said.

He said Miah’s father had owned two Indian restaurants but had died recently and Miah had had to run them as he was the only bread-winner for his mother and sister.

The judge said: told Miah that 11 years after his first cannabis offence he was still found around town with two containers of the drug.

“This is your fifth offence and it is about time you learned your lesson,” he said.

Miah was fined £500 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £50 victim surcharge.

An order was made for the drugs to be destroyed.