Michael McCaffrey (50) of Galloon Gardens, Newtownbutler pleaded guilty to possession of a Class B controlled drug, namely cannabis, at Enniskillen Magistrates Court last Wednesday. 

The court heard that on Thursday, June 30 police were called to a domestic incident on Main Street Newtownbutler. 

While no complaint was ever made against McCaffery, police found him a short time after being called to the incident at his own home in the village. While there, they discovered he has a small lump of cannabis resin in his front pocket, which the court was told was valued at approximately £10. 

The court also heard that in McCaffrey’s 12-page-long record, which contained 109 previous convictions, there was only one minor drugs conviction. 

Defence barrister Stephen Mooney explained McCaffrey’s record was “in the greater part from before the millennium” and had “tailed off” significantly since 2000. 

Mr Mooney added the cannabis had been for McCaffrey’s own benefit, which he said the defendant would use “for a few joints in the house”, and said if not for the police being called to the domestic incident he would never have been found with it. 

Deputy District Judge Joseph Rice fined McCaffrey £250 and told him he was being “given a chance” as drugs possession was a serious criminal offence.