A 26-YEAR-OLD man has been sentenced to a total of seven months in jail after police found nearly 70 grams of a synthetic cannabinoid underneath his bed last summer.

Connor Logan, of Sycamore Drive, Enniskillen, pleaded guilty to possessing a Class B controlled drug, namely the synthetic cannabinoid AB-CHMINACA, on June 3, 2017.

According to government website Frank, which offers “friendly, confidential drugs advice”, synthetic cannabinoids are chemicals that have been developed to mimic the main psychoactive chemical in cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which acts on cannabis receptors in the brain.

Fermanagh Magistrates Court heard that, at 10.30pm on June 3, police conducted a search of an address at Carnmore Lodge in Enniskillen under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

The defendant was in the living room area of the property, while officers found a large bag filled with suspected psychoactive substances under his bed.

Logan was arrested and conveyed to Enniskillen custody suite.

The seized substance was sent for forensic analysis. It was later confirmed to be 68 grams of the synthetic cannabinoid, AB-CHMINACA.

A Public Prosecution Service (PPS) representative initially told the court that the police estimated this to have a street value of around £2,000.

However, she later clarified that the amount seized had a street value of between £680 to £1,360.

When the defendant was interviewed in connection with the offence, he made no comment.

Defending solicitor, Michelle McVeigh, told the court that her client disputed the value of the drugs that had been given by the prosecutor.

The solicitor said that Logan instructed her that the substance was only worth around £2.50 a gram, giving a total value of £150.

Ms. McVeigh admitted that the defendant had an issue with drugs, but added that the recent birth of his first child had been the “catalyst” for him to change his ways.

In mitigation, the solicitor said that, since the birth of his daughter, Logan had made “great efforts” in dealing with his addiction.

She also revealed that the tragic deaths of both his uncle and his cousin over Christmas had placed a “huge strain” on him.

Ms. McVeigh then asked the judge to take into account that the defendant had already served some nine-and-a-half weeks in custody on remand in respect of this offence.

Stressing that her client wished to turn his life around, she told the court: “If drugs are in his life, his daughter will not be.”

District judge, Nigel Broderick, observed that the offence was aggravated by the quantity of the drug involved and the value, which, he said, was “significant”.

The judge said that the defendant had a poor record generally, with previous drugs convictions.

“All too sadly, you know from family experience that engaging in illegal drugs can have fatal consequences,” Mr. Broderick said.

Ruling that the custodial threshold had been crossed, the judge imposed a two-month jail term and a £25 offender levy for possessing the synthetic cannabinoid.

He then activated a five-month suspended sentence that the defendant had breached and directed that this be served consecutively with the two-month term – giving a total sentence of seven months.

Logan was subsequently released on his own bail of £500, pending an appeal against this sentence.