Reformed drug user jailed for three years over 2004 drug bust

A Maltese-Australian man who was found to be in possession of 15 grams of cocaine during a roadblock in 2004 has been jailed for three years and fined €4,000 after he was found guilty of being in possession of the drugs not for his exclusive use.

The drug find was made on August 3, 2004, after Paul Philip Caruana, 44, of Mosta, was stopped during a routine road block in Mill Street, Qormi.

Inside Caruana’s Peugeot 106, the police found two sachets containing 14.69 grams of cocaine with 40% purity and LM1,097 in cash.

In his testimony, the accused insisted that the drugs were for his personal use. Asked about the “considerable amount” of drugs he was found to be in possession of, the accused had told the court that he bought 15 grams of cocaine because he was going to Gozo for two weeks.

Moreover, he explained to the court that he was not a frequent user, and he often refrained from using drugs on a regular basis because he would end up suffering from a hangover and headache.

In its ruling, the court, presided by Magistrate Marseann Farrugia, argued that the accused’s version of events were inconsistent with his drug behaviour. The magistrate argued that given Caruana’s habitual drug abuse, his body would not have tolerated 15 grams of drugs in such a short amount of time – more so because he had told the court that he was deterred from abusing of drugs due to headaches and hangovers.

The Magistrate said even though Caruana reformed and does not have a lengthy criminal record, he should nevertheless pay his dues to society.

Consequently, the court jailed the accused for three years and fined him €4,000. Moreover, he was ordered to pay €113 in court expenses.

Magistrate Marseann Farrugia presided while Inspector Pierre Grech prosecuted.