A man was caught with two cannabis joints and seven grams of the drug in an increased penalty zone near a primary school, a court heard.

Shaki Moniz, 27, pleaded guilty at Magistrates' Court yesterday to possession of the drug.

Senior Crown counsel, Carrington Mahoney, told the court Moniz was arrested in Grenadier Lane, St. George's, within 300 metres of East End Primary School, on November 29.

He said officers stopped the defendant at 12.30 p.m. that day as they were conducting stop and search checks in the area.

"As one officer stopped the defendant and he produced a homemade cigarette with plant-like material," said Mr. Mahoney.

"As the officer cautioned him, he asked what the cigarette was, and the defendant replied, 'A spliff'."

As he was arrested, Moniz then said: "Are you serious? I gave it to you."

Officers then found a second homemade cigarette in his right hand and two plastic twists containing "a plant-like material" in his car.

The bags were later found to contain a total 7.08 grams of cannabis.

Magistrate Juan Wolfe fined Moniz, a Department of Parks employee, $2,000.