Ganja under a brick…

May 16, 2008 News

Lindener gets 3 years for not ‘minding his own business’

Principal Magistrate Melissa Robertson-Ogle yesterday sentenced a Linden resident to three years imprisonment after he was charged with possession of cannabis.

The accused, 21-year-old Harvey Mathis, made his appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
It is alleged that last Sunday (May 11) at Lethem, he had in his possession 20 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking. To the charge Mathis pleaded guilty.

In his own defence Mathis told the court that on the night of May 11 he was drinking a few Guinness and beers and as a result was not fully aware of what transpired until he was arrested by the police.

“Madam de night I went into de club and I de drinking and ah de li’l high and when I come outside I see a man over de road put something under a brick and I just go and pick it up and put it in me pocket,” Mathis told the court.

When asked by the Magistrate if he checked the parcel which he picked up, he responded in the negative. “Madam I just pick it up and put it in me pocket because I de high; me ain’t check nothing. Is till de police search me and tell me is weed then I know is weed,” Mathis added.

The Magistrate in turn told Mathis the next time he should mind his own business because the consequences could have been worse. The Magistrate then asked the accused if he was before her court recently and he said no. However, Police Prosecutor Sherwin Matthews brought to the court’s attention that previously the accused was before the court for a robbing a man.

“Madam that was a li’l misunderstanding, I didn’t rob nobody,” Mathis said.

The prosecution further informed that court that on the day in question police on a mobile patrol saw the accused acting in a suspicious manner and he was stopped and searched. The cannabis was found in the man’s pants pocket. Mathis was fined $10,000 and sentenced to 3 years in prison.