A man was yesterday jailed for 18 years and fined €40,000 after jurors found him guilty of possessing eight kilogrammes of cannabis with the intent to sell.

Former car oil importer Joseph Mifsud, 41, was found guilty by eight votes to one of possessing cannabis but not guilty by the same number of votes of heroin possession.

The three-day trial saw conflicting evidence, with Mr Mifsud claiming he had never taken drugs and did not even know what they were. On the other hand, a police sergeant said he had personally witnessed him carrying the large haul during covert surveillance.

Police Inspector Nezren Grixti testified on Monday that, in November 2004, he had ordered three police units to stand by near the house of a man who was well known to them, Victor Magri also known as Iċ-Ċinku. He had information that a drug deal was about to to be carried out in front of Mr Magri's house.

The accused was seen by PS Antoine Micallef park outside the house and place a dark-coloured bag, containing the cannabis, inside the boot of Mr Magri's car.

Iċ-Ċinku was murdered in Ta' Qali in December of that same year but the killing was unconnected.

During the closing arguments on Tuesday, defence lawyer Joseph Giglio pointed out to jurors that no finger prints had been found on the boot of the car.

However lawyer Aaron Bugeja, from the Attorney General's Office, said the prints report was inconclusive and it did not mean that the crime had not happened.

In submissions on punishment, Dr Giglio told Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono his client's criminal record was not one littered with convictions and he had no other pending court cases.

He reminded the court that the drug was only 11 per cent pure and that a man, Paul Muscat, had been jailed for 18 years in 2006 for possessing 20 kilogrammes of hashish, which was the more pure form of the drug.

He also asked the court to take into consideration the fact that the accused had three children.

Dr Bugeja asked the court to consider the seriousness of the charges.

Mr Mifsud was facing life imprisonment and a fine of €116,500.