A TEENAGER fell foul of the law when a friend gave him a packet to hold, a court was told.

Curtis Whitehead was arrested when police arrived to deal with a street disturbance at Blackburn. And he told the arresting officer he had ecstasy tablets on him.

Judge Andrew Blake made a two-year community rehabilitation order and an order for the teenager to do 100 hours community punishment and pay £100 costs.

Preston Crown Court also heard that since that night the defendant's brother had been murdered.

The 19-year-old, of Langham Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing a Class A drug with intent to supply.

Fraser Livesey, prosecuting, told how police were called to a disturbance in Darwen Street, Blackburn, after 3am on December 15.

As many as eight people seemed to be involved in some kind of confrontation.

The defendant was among them. He ran, but was caught and arrested.

Whitehead was taken to the police station and at the custody suite told the arresting officer he had ecstasy about his person.

He said: "I don't even use them," and produced the 27 tablets.

He went on to say there had been trouble at a bar and a number of people ran towards the doorway.

Someone gave him a packet and he appreciated that drugs might be inside.

This had been just 10 minutes before police arrived. The defendant refused to name the other man to police, said the prosecution.

Mr Richard Dawson, defending, said Whitehead had not been involved in the principal fighting.

He was given a conditional discharge for drunk and disorderly behaviour relating to that night.

His barrister also told the court: "His brother was tragically murdered at the beginning of this year. That has impacted heavily upon him."