A man has been fined and been made to forfeit drugs after pleading guilty to possessing cannabis in Maidstone.

Leo Allen, 18 years-old, of St Michaels, Tenterden, was arrested in Mote Park, shortly after 1am on Saturday March 16. Neighbourhood officers had been patrolling the area when they searched a car he was in with three other men and found a bag of cannabis.

Two days later, on Monday March 18, Allen appeared before Maidstone Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis. He was fined £73, ordered to pay £85 costs, and a victim surcharge of £20. Magistrates ordered that 3.3 grams of cannabis be destroyed under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Investigating officer, PC Jo Hazelwood from Kent Police said: “This case is a great example of swift justice; taking a case from the initial offence to a conviction at court within a matter of days. We carry out targeted patrols across the district at all times of the day and night and deal with all manner of offences, and will continue our efforts to limit the use of drugs on the streets of Maidstone.”