yesterday after he admitted a 12-year-old charge of possessing marijuana with intent to supply.

Ricardo Anderson, 35, also admitted two further counts of marijuana possession and a count of possessing a prohibited weapon.

Magistrates' Court heard the offences occurred in 1981.

Anderson had been released on bail after pleading not guilty and then skipped the Island.

Police arrested him at the Airport last Friday when he returned to the Island on a flight from the United States.

Anderson said he had been living in America for the past decade. Prosecutor Insp. Peter Duffy said that on July 3, 1981, narcotics officers, acting on information received, went to Turkey Hill, St. George's where they saw a group of men standing by a derelict house.

Anderson was seen holding a plastic bag, which he threw to the ground when Police approached.

He and the other men fled but officers managed to catch Anderson. The bag was found to contain 53 pay-type envelopes of marijuana. Some $1,230 cash was found in another plastic bag.

A search of Anderson's St. George's home uncovered a film canister with marijuana in it and a set of illegal karate sticks.

The total amount of marijuana involved was some 45 grams. When Anderson failed to show up for his Magistrates' Court trial on July 25, 1981, an arrest warrant was issued.

Mr. Delroy Duncan, representing Anderson, asked for a suspended sentence on humanitarian grounds and because the offences were "of some vintage''.

He added Anderson should be sentenced up to the maximum penalties that existed back in 1981 before drug laws were amended.

"My client is suffering from a life threatening illness and has a limited amount of time to live,'' Mr. Duncan said.

Insp. Duffy said he would agree to a lenient sentence. Senior Magistrate the Wor. Will Francis sentenced him to six months imprisonmnt on the first count and two months for each of the other drugs counts. But he suspended all the sentences for two years.

He said he would not impose any fines considering Anderson's family would have the burden of having to pay them.