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One year in prison for cocaine user
Derrick Fernandes
Derrick Fernandes was yesterday sentenced to one year imprisonment and fined $10,000 for having a smoking utensil in his possession. Fernandes had earlier pleaded guilty to the charge, admitting that cocaine was in the pipe at the time he was apprehended.
Police Prosecutor Desire Fowler said that on August 25, around 21:05 hrs, ranks from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) were on a mobile patrol.
She said that when the police were in the vicinity of Cummings and Middle Streets, they noticed Fernandes acting in suspicious manner. The ranks disembarked the vehicle and a search was carried out on Fernandes. The police found in the man’s possession one improvised pipe which is used to smoke cocaine. The man was subsequently arrested and charged.
Fernandes in his defence said that it was not cocaine that was in the pipe, but marijuana.
Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton said that she would have to change his guilty plea to a not guilty if that was his claim. The man in return said that he did not want to waste the court’s time. It was at this point that he admitted that it was indeed cocaine that was in the pipe.
The magistrate then asked him where he resides; he explained that he is originally from Berbice. Fernandes pointed out that it was because of his smoking that he left the county.
He did this in an effort to spare his 17-year-old daughter the embarrassment of seeing him in a disheveled state. He also told the court that he also has a two-month-old baby and the mother of the child is dead.
Magistrate Octive-Hamilton said that she would give him the minimum sentence seeing that he is first time offender. Fernandes was then fined $10,000 along with one year imprisonment.
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