A Helston man caught with 18 grams of amphetamine and 84 grams of cannabis said the reason he had the drugs was due to self medication for epilepsy.

He claimed that he had bought the drugs after a recommendation from someone he knew that drugs were helpful with his health problems, and that he wanted to experiment for himself to help his own epilepsy.

Police officers caught Ian Donald Charles Matthews, aged 44, of Trelawney Road, and he found himself before District Judge David Parsons at Truro’s magistrates’ court, where he pleaded guilty to possessing 18.1 grams of amphetamine and 84.69 grams of cannabis.

Alison May, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said Matthews had previous convictions.

Representing Matthews, solicitor David Harvey said his client had paid £150 for the drugs. The reason for his experiment was that someone had told him they had helped him with multiple sclerosis and he decided to self-medicate.

Matthews was fined £75 and ordered to pay £105 costs and surcharge.