A Milford Haven man who regularly takes cannabis to relieve his pain and anxiety following a serious car crash this week found himself in court to face a charge of possessing an illegal Class B drug.

Pleading guilty before Haverfordwest magistrates to the offence of possessing cannabis resin was Jamie Wilson, 32, of Birch Mead, Milford Haven.

Crown Prosecutor Nia Sturgess told magistrates that police visited the defendant’s property on May 8 regarding an unrelated matter. When spoken to, the defendant gave a full admission to possessing cannabis and handed police a plastic container.

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“The container contained a green matter that smelt very pungent,” said Ms Sturgess.

Police confirmed that this amounted to 15 grammes of cannabis which had a street value of approximately £150.

Representing Wilson, Mr Michael Kelleher said that in 2017 his client had been involved in a major car crash which has had a serious effect on his health.

“As a result of the crash he had a metal hip and a metal forearm and spent three months in hospital,” said Mr Kelleher.

“He’s in constant pain and finds that cannabis relieves that pain and also helps him to sleep. Without it, his brain keeps ticking and he keeps seeing the accident over and over again.”

But Probation Officer Julie Norman, claimed Wilson's cannabis usage stems back around 15 years.

"He's a long-standing cannais user and uses it daily, spending around £70 a week [on the drug]," she said. 

"While he uses it as a result of the problems incurred after the accident, he was a cannabis user before. 

"But I'm not sure he's comitted to stop."

After considering al the evidence, magistrates fined Wilson £120 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £34 surcharge.