A designer who said he needed weed to keep calm after losing his apartment to his girlfriend was sentenced to 30 days' imprisonment at hard labour on Wednesday.

Raymond Charles Perry, 34, of Middlesex, England, was sentenced to 30 days after his attorney pleaded with the judge for leniency.

It is alleged that Perry, a British citizen, went to the Norman Manley International Airport where he checked in to board a flight to London. He was searched and two rectangular packages of ganja weighing 750 kilograms were found stuck to his crotch area.

He was arrested and charged with possession, dealing in and taking steps to export ganja. He pleaded guilty to all charges when the matter was mentioned in the Corporate area Resident Magistrate's Court.

The investigating officer also told the court that the accused had been convicted of a similar offence in 2006.

His attorney confirmed this, but said his client was going through a difficult time. "He and his partner had a falling out and she got the apartment. He needed to recuperate and was taking the substance to help him," he told the court before asking for a short custodial sentence.

Resident Magistrate Glen Brown then sentenced Perry to pay $24,000 or serve three months for possession of ganja. He was admonished and discharged for dealing in ganja and fined $12,000 or three months for taking steps to export ganja.

In addition, he was sentenced to 30 days' imprisonment at hard labour.