Latest update April 18th, 2025 8:12 AM
Cocaine in SSS tonic… Miner freed of drug trafficking charge
Accused: Deon Layne
Thirty four-year-old Deon Layne walked out of the city court a free man after his drug trafficking case was dismissed by city Magistrate Judy Latchman.
Last year, Layne was brought before the courts to face the charge after four persons died from consuming the bottle of SSS tonic he had asked a United States of America citizen to transport to the mother of his child.
Layne, a miner of Lot 88 Freeman Street, East La Penitence, was charged with having 252 grammes of cocaine on May 2 at Cookrite Street, East La Penitence for trafficking purposes.
He pleaded not guilty during his first arraignment before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on July 23, last but the court had kept him remanded ever since.
It is said that Layne approached Candacy McGarrell, who was at that time visiting from the United States of America and asked her to transport some SSS tonic for the mother of his child who was in the US.
During her stay, McGarrell was residing with four other persons: 6-year-old Jahaquel Blair, his 12-year-old brother Jamal Waterman as well as their father Alex Blair, 42, and mother 36-year-old Simone Pryce.
She departed Guyana, however leaving the tonic behind and four occupants of the home and Simone Pryce’s friend Natasha George ingested the substance.
The five took ill and were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) but four later succumbed. The lone survivor was Waterman.
A Post Mortem Examination (PME) later conducted revealed that the persons died from consuming the tonic which was laced with cocaine.
The tonic was taken to the police laboratory where it tested positive for cocaine. Investigators extracted the illicit substance and it was weighed.
Following probes by detectives, Layne was later apprehended and charged for drug trafficking.
During the trial, Sergeant Vishnu Hunt, a Prosecutor attached to the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), called on several witnesses to testify, including the 12-year-old survivor.
As the Prosecution closed the case last Friday, Sergeant Hunt urged the court to note that there was no other bottle of SSS Tonic in the house.
He asked the court to examine the suspicious circumstances surrounding the way Lane operated with the Tonic and find that he had knowledge of the cocaine concealed in it.
Hunt asked the court to find that sufficient evidence had been led for a conviction.
As Magistrate Latchman ruled yesterday, she said that while she believed that Layne took the bottle of SSS Tonic and handed it to McGarrell asking that it be delivered, she noted that there was not enough evidence for her to conclude that he knew that the cocaine was in the bottle of SSS tonic, especially since it was sealed.
The court noted that no proof was presented by the Prosecution to show that Layne knew when, where or how the cocaine got there.
She emphasised that the bottle was sealed when delivered and added that there was no proof that Layne put the cocaine in the bottle or arranged for it to be placed there.
The court found Layne not guilty of the charge.
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