Christopher Bettles, 20, convicted in Bathurst Local Court of possessing a prohibited drug

Christopher Bettles, 20, of Brilliant Street, Bathurst, appeared by audio-visual link to Bathurst Local Court on January 18 to enter a plea of guilty to possessing a prohibited drug.

Court documents state police were called to Howick Street in Bathurst about 8.30pm on December 28 last year after they received reports that a male had passed out on the side of the road.

Police said they went to the scene and saw Bettles laying on the ground asleep with a syringe and spoon next to him.

The court heard police approached Bettles and woke him, which caused him to jump to his feet in what police described as a 'daze'.

Police said they asked Bettles - who was, according to police, noticeably drug affected - if he had any illegal drugs on his person, which he denied, before police informed him that due to suspicions of prohibited substances, he would be searched.

During the search, police said they uncovered a small ball of cannabis wrapped in tin foil in Bettles' left jacket pocket.

Bettles was questioned about the drug, which he pleaded with police to throw away.

The court was told police noticed Bettles was in breach of his current conditional bail - which was granted on December 25 last year by Bathurst Local Court - by failing to comply with his curfew.

Bettles was arrested and taken to Bathurst Police Station where he was charged.

During submissions, Bettles' Aboriginal Legal Service solicitor, Mr Naveed, conceded that his client only had "a limited amount of cannabis" at the time of the offence.

Magistrate Elizabeth Ellis convicted Bettles of the charge and fined him $200.

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