A man who turned over a new leaf steering clear of substance abuse was placed under probation after pleading guilty to drug possession charges dating back two years. 

Neil Andrew Bebbington, a 43-year-old Gozo resident, had been charged with possession of cocaine and cannabis under circumstances indicating that the drugs were not for his personal use. He was also charged with cultivating cannabis.

The man had been arrested alongside another 22-year-old man, Kralev Bagoj, living at Marsalforn, who landed a two-year jail term after pleading guilty in separate proceedings. 

Bebbington had filed an early guilty plea and had been granted bail upon his arraignment before the Magistrates’ Courts in Gozo, while his lawyer, David Gatt, subsequently requested the court to convert itself into a drugs court, in terms of the Drug Dependence (Treatment not Imprisonment) Act.

When delivering judgment, the court, presided over by magistrate Monica Vella, made reference to a report drawn up by a supervision officer, declaring that “the accused is now leading a life free from abuse of substances and is doing his utmost to keep clean from any substance abuse”.

Added to that, the Court further noted the accused’s early guilty plea as well his “clean conduct sheet,” and the fact that he had also enrolled in a drug rehabilitation programme. 

In the light of such circumstances, the Court placed the accused under a three-year probation order, ordering him to cover court expert expenses. 

Lawyer David Gatt was defence counsel. Inspector Anthony Scerri prosecuted.