A RYDE woman kept cannabis locked away in a safe at home to prevent her four children from touching it, a court on the Isle of Wight was told.  

Stacey Bartlett, of High Street, Oakfield, admitted possessing cannabis on March 9, when she appeared at the Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court, on Tuesday.

Police exEcuted a search warrant at Bartlett's home and asked her to open her safe, where they found 4g of cannabis.

The unemployed mum-of-four was arrested and told the police she had paid £15 for the cannabis and had intended to smoke it, said Ann Smout, prosecuting.

Bartlett, with two identical drug convictions, the most recent being in January, gave the police no reason to suspect she was supplying drugs, the bench was told.

For Bartlett, 34, Henry Farley said it was slightly puzzling why his client would keep such a small amount of cannabis in a safe.

"She has four children. she's a single mother and she smokes cannabis when the children are in bed," said Mr Farley.

"She doesn't want her children finding it, fiddling with it or anything like that. That's why it was under lock and key."

"Cannabis helps her sleep. She has tried many different varieties of sleeping pill, which have undesirable side effects that don't suit her.

"She doesn't want to be taking prescribed medication, so we have the cannabis in question."

Bartlett also suffers with anxiety, stress and post-traumatic stress disorder, added Mr Farley.

She was fined £80, with an order to pay £50 costs and a £34 victim surcharge.