Murder accused gets 3 years on ganja charge

Jul 13, 2019 News

Odel Roberts, who is currently on remand at the Camp Street Prison on a murder charge, was yesterday sentenced to three years in prison and fined $30,000 for trafficking in narcotics.
Roberts appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty, and admitted to the charge which read that on July 3, 2019, at Camp Street Prison, Georgetown, he had in his possession 102 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking. After pleading guilty, he offered to give an explanation to the court.
“It’s the police fault my worship, when I deh at the hospital, one ah me family bring a food for me. I did not know that the weed was in the food, but moms, the police dem does have to check everything we collect, but dem police ain’t check the food.”
He went on to explain that, “Is till when I open the box and start eat, I see the weed, the fried rice was on top and the weed was at the bottom. I believe that I was set up, because dem suppose to check it moms.”
Police Prosecutor Annalisa Brummell then read the facts of the charge, which stated on the aforementioned date, at about 08:00 hours, Roberts was escorted to the Georgetown Public Hospital to seek medical attention. While waiting for treatment, he collected a box of food from someone.
Upon his return to the prison, a search was carried out and a quantity of cannabis leaves, seeds and stems were found in the food box.
He was told of the allegation and in a caution statement admitted being the owner of the said cannabis.
After listening to both sides, Magistrate McGusty, then sentenced the defendant to prison for three years and instructed that he is to pay a fine of $30,000.
Meanwhile, Paul Smith, 45, of Thomas Street, Kitty, Georgetown, was also sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and fined $2M by Magistrate Dylon Bess at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where he was also on trial for trafficking in narcotics.
The charge against him alleged that on May 18, 2018, Smith had 4.934 kilograms of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.
Yesterday, the magistrate ruled that he was of the opinion that the prosecutor had provided sufficient evidence against the defendant for a conviction and as a result handed down the sentence.
According to reports, police ranks in a search of Smith’s home discovered the cannabis.

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