A Southampton man was fined $2,500 in Magistrates' Court, yesterday, after being caught with cannabis in an increased penalty zone.

Omar Butterfield, 28, of Rockaway Lane, was found with 0.41 grammes of the drug on the corner of Court and Angle Streets in Pembroke, on March 27.

He was 200 metres away from a nursery school at the time.

According to Crown counsel Cindy Clarke, Police stopped Butterfield and conducted a search of his auxiliary cycle, but nothing was found. They proceeded to search him, and found a clear plastic bag containing paper twists in his pocket.

He was cautioned and replied: "Officer, I am begging you a chance; I didn't remember I had that."

In court, yesterday, Butterfield, previously convicted of cannabis possession in 2006, told Magistrate Archibald Warner: "It won't happen again".

Mr. Warner replied: "But it happened before."

He was given until September 29 to pay the fine in full.