Guilty pleas from man found with gift-wrapped cannabis

A Ramsey man who gift wrapped stalks of cannabis as Christmas presents for his friends will be sentenced in March after admitting drug offences. 

38-year-old Shane Maximilon Skelly appeared at Douglas Courthouse this week where he admitted possession of the Class B drug and possession of it with intent to supply. 

Police stopped Skelly on Main Road in Onchan on December 23rd last year for a traffic matter - he was detained for a drug search and a small amount of cannabis was found in his rucksack. 

Skelly was arrested and officers carried out a search at his property on Tower Road - just under 50 grams of cannabis was recovered as well as a number of stems, in festive paper, worth £396. 

Officers also found a container of 'Magic Mushrooms' - at his court hearing Skelly entered a guilty plea to a charge of possession of a Class A substance. 

His advocate told the court the stalks were "a very inappropriate gift effectively" adding "there's nothing commercial and nothing professional about this operation". 

Social enquiry reports have been requested before Skelly is sentenced on March 7th - he's been bailed in the meantime.