British teenagers fined over drug possession

Three British teenagers have appeared in court after being caught carrying drugs during a party yesterday. 

The three 19-year-olds, Bradley William James, Paul Bailey Mullarkey and Grace Olivia Murray, are thought to have been arrested during a raid at yesterday’s Chasing the Sun festival. Police from the Drugs Squad arrested the youths at Splash and Fun which was hosting one of several parties held on yesterday’s public holiday.

Police also carried out a search in a room which the trio shared in St. Paul’s Bay, the court was told.

James, Mullarkey and Murray were charged with possession of ecstasy and ketamine. James alone was additionally charged with cocaine possession.

All three admitted the charges against them. 

The court conditionally discharged James, who had been found in possession of five ecstasy pills and less than 1.3 grams of the other substances, for two years. Mullarkey and Murray, who had larger amounts of the drugs were fined, €850 and €875 respectively.

Murray, wearing a blanket over her party clothes, sobbed as magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras read out the punishment. Failure to pay the fines will result in imprisonment for a term of one day for every €25 that went unpaid.

Inspector Justine Grech prosecuted.

Lawyer Francine Abela assisted the three accused as legal aid.