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Mother of five faces jail for cocaine trafficking

Feb 04, 2009 News

Fabya Helkin, 32, was yesterday remanded to prison after she made her court appearance before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton. She is accused of having in her possession in excess of two grams of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. She pleaded guilty.
According to Police Prosecutor Robert Clement, on the day she was arrested, the defendant, who is a Suriname-based Guyanese, went to the DHL shipping company to post a quantity of chair cushions, table cloth and a shirt to London.
The clerk had accepted the items and took them to the Criminal Investigations Department, Eve Leary for testing. He discovered that the drug was concealed within the articles.
As a result of the find the defendant was arrested, cautioned and told of the offence.  At the police station, the defendant in a caution statement admitted to posting the drugs, and was subsequently charged.
Attorney-at-law Patrice Henry representing the defendant made a plea in mitigation. The lawyer asked that the court exercise a great degree of leniency when imposing custodial sentence.
Henry further told the court that the defendant is a mother of five and that she is currently three months pregnant with her sixth child.
He said that Helkin has been a victim of circumstances; he also noted that she has fully cooperated with the police and has not wasted the court’s time.
The lawyer said that the defendant has expressed remorse after falling prey to the narcotic trade and asked that the minimum penalty be administered.
However, as Magistrate Octive-Hamilton was about to impose sentence, she asked the prosecutor to clarify the “quantum” of drugs which Helkin had in her possession.
The magistrate was told by the prosecutor that the case docket only had “in an excess of two grams” which certainly was not specific enough.
The magistrate then ordered that the investigating rank get the correct amount of cocaine which the woman was attempting to post.
Magistrate Octive-Hamilton then deferred the woman’s sentence until today; she further told the court that the quantum must be given which would determine the penalty.

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