MILAD Ahmed was planning to celebrate his 19th birthday by using cocaine for the first time – but police discovered and seized the drug when they searched his Soham home. Also in the property was a puny specimen of a cannabis plant Ahmed had been growin

MILAD Ahmed was planning to celebrate his 19th birthday by using cocaine for the first time - but police discovered and seized the drug when they searched his Soham home.

Also in the property was "a puny specimen" of a cannabis plant Ahmed had been growing with the help of a hydroponics system.

The teenage student admitted both drugs offences when he appeared at Ely Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

The court fined Ahmed �25 with �35 costs and a �15 surcharge, and ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs.

Police were investing an offence not connected with Ahmed when they went to his home in Gadwall Way, Soham, on September 8.

"In a bedroom they found a couple of cannabis plants and some hydroponics, he accepted cultivating one plant," said prosecutor Laura Mardell.

"When his room was further searched, a pouch containing white powder was found; Ahmed said he believed it was paracetamol."

Forensic study of the powder revealed it was 361 milligrams of powder containing two per cent of cocaine, effectively "a trace" of the class A drug.

Solicitor Jacqui Baldwin said: "A photograph shows a puny specimen of a cannabis plant, that is the one belonging to my client. It is quite a sorry specimen, I have to say.

"He is a 19-year-old who occasionally smokes weed and he decided to experiment with growing some to save money, but it has come back to haunt him."

She said Ahmed bought more cocaine than was found, he was planning to use it on his birthday three days later, but had dropped it on the carpet, and scooped up what he could.

She said the cocaine was of low strength, "I suspect it would have done little for him on his birthday," she added.

Presiding magistrate Janet South told Ahmed: "Because of your stupidity you have landed yourself in this court and got yourself a criminal record.