A man who was caught with drugs on his possession after lying to police about his identity has been jailed for three months.
The case of Darius Radziunas, of no-fixed-abode, was heard at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
The 38-year-old was charged with obstructing police, possessing criminal property, possession of Class A drugs and possession of Class B drugs with intent to supply.
The court heard on June 27 last year at approximately 1am police came across a cyclist wearing a fluorescent jacket in Portadown town centre.
He was stopped near the Meadows Shopping Centre as police had been trying to locate a cyclist in relation to another incident.
When he was asked for his name, he was “very hesitant” and provided a name and date of birth that was incorrect on police systems.
To establish his identity, police searched the man, during which they located in his rucksack a tub containing small bags of suspected cannabis. They also found a bag containing small bags of suspected cocaine.
Police also located the defendant’s wallet, in which a Monzo card was found bearing his name. Subsequent checks on police systems determined he was of no fixed abode and had an outstanding warrant.
He was then arrested on suspicion of drugs offences and taken to Lurgan custody, where police found £120 in cash which he could not account for.
At interview he said the white powder was amphetamine and it, alongside the cannabis, was for his personal use. He refused to give pin codes for his phone, adding that he borrowed the £120 from a friend.
Aaron Thompson BL, defending, noted his client was due to be released in April following a Crown Court sentencing the previous year.
Stating that the defendant had been using drugs “heavily” himself, Mr Thompson argued it was, “not the most sophisticated or sinister of these types of offences”.
He added the defendant had been served with deportation documentation, saying it would serve “no great benefit” for the defendant’s custodial period to be extended.
District Judge Francis Rafferty sentenced Radziunas to a total of three months in custody, stating it was “the best I can do”, given the defendant’s previous convictions for drugs charges.
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