AN AMMAN Valley teen carrying a bag of cannabis claimed he ‘panicked’ when the car in which he was travelling was stopped by police, Llanelli magistrates heard.

Ryan Leonard Frederick Lewis ran away from the vehicle, with a policeman in hot pursuit, the bench was told.

But the defendant, who was seen by the officer to throw a bag in the direction of some houses, soon came to a halt and surrendered himself to the chasing police, related prosecutor Gerald Neave.

Lewis, aged 18, formerly of 18 Stepney Road in Garnant, but now living at 31 Cheriton Crescent, Port Mead, Swansea, admitted possessing 16.4gms of cannabis.

He was fined £55 and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs along with a £20 victims’ surcharge imposed by the court.

Mr Neave said that the offence had only come to light during the early hours of May 16 as police prepared to pull over a car which they had spotted travelling with a defective light.

Lewis ran off after emerging from the passenger door of the car.

A chasing policeman then saw him throw away a bag which was later found to contain cannabis.

“I panicked - I’ve got a bit of weed on me,” the teenager later told officers.

The defendant disclosed he had bought the herbal cannabis for £100 in Swansea.

He told the court that he smoked around three joints a day “normally after work to chill out”.

Mr Peter Martin, defending, said it was the first time his client had appeared in court.

“He works for D L Poultry in Ammanford and hopes to be a butcher,” Mr Martin told the court.

“His mother took such a dim view of this episode that he had now gone to live with his father.

“Mr Lewis says he is not addicted to cannabis but the family have real concerns about the amount he uses.”

Magistrates ordered that the Class B drug be destroyed.