Police gave man lift and then cannabis was found

It was one of several incidents when Zoltan Dobie (49), with an address at Drumtara in the town, was detected with the Class B drug.

A prosecutor told Ballymena Magistrates Court in one incident in July this year the defendant was drunk and was swearing in the middle of the road at Brooke Park in Ballymena at 2am.

On another occasion Dobie dropped cannabis as he ran from police at Mill Street in Ballymena.

On another date police saw him holding a can of beer at Broughshane Street and cannabis was found.

The court was told police spotted Dobie urinating at Linenhall Street and he was charged with indecent behaviour.

On April 1 this year - the defendant’s birthday - police noticed he was “very agitated” at Hill Street and a small amount of cannabis was found.

On another date he was “very aggressive” and shouting at Broughshane Street and cannabis was found.

Defence solicitor Stewart Ballentine said the defendant, who had a previous record, used alcohol and cannabis to “help” with mental health issues and was diagnosed as having ADHD.

He said Dobie was in his office for the court appearance via video link and was “very calm and mannerly” and was “very much a Jekyll and Hyde character”.

The lawyer said the defendant wants to get help for his “unfortunate circumstances”.

He said Dobie is originally from Hungary and had lived in America and after meeting a woman from Carrickfergus on holiday in Europe came to Northern Ireland and he stayed here after the “relationship floundered”.

He said the defendant is a roofer but “due to a current medical condition he can’t go on any height”.

Mr Ballentine asked the judge to “take a chance” and put the defendant on Probation.

District Judge Nigel Broderick told Dobie: “A lot of this offending is relatively low level but what aggravates the situation are the sheer number of cases and you are in breach of suspended sentences.”

He said he would put him “to the test and see whether you are genuine in trying to stop this offending and to address this problem you have with cannabis”.

He put Dobie on Probation to attend any programme of recommended treatment and deferred sentencing to next March.

The judge told the defendant “if you fail you will have no one to blame but yourself” and he would be jailed.