A man from Pembroke has been given a 12-month conditional discharge after pleading guilty to drugs possession. Thirty-three-year-old Dean William Howells, of Commons Road, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday, charged with possessing 5.85 grams of cannabis. Prosecutor Ellie Morgan told the court that a police officer attended the defendant's address on May 10, to speak to him about a different matter, and whilst there could smell cannabis and spotted a grinder on the coffee table. Mr. Howells then produced a plastic bag containing herbal cannabis from a TV cabinet drawer. "He has nine drug offences on his record, the majority relating to cannabis which he uses to self-medicate as he suffers with anxiety and mental health issues," explained Ms Morgan. The defendant's solicitor, Mr. Matthew Greenish, told magistrates that his client had been fully co-operative and had given a full and frank admission to police officers. "He is a diagnosed schizophrenic who suffers quite substantial mental helath problems," he said. "He is prescribed medication, but he uses the cannabis to self-medicate. I've explained to him that he can't go on in this vein, but he's caught between a rock and hard place as he feels it obviously does help with his issues," added Mr. Greenish. Magistrates gave Mr. Howells a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs and grinder. He was also ordered to pay costs of £85 and a £15 victim surcharge.