By: Gavincia Clarke
Nevispages.com
(CHARLESTOWN, NEVIS)- Police Officers of the Task Force Unit made a seizure of a significant amount of cannabis at the residence of Vayron Cole in Brick Kiln Village on Friday, February 22, 2013. This was when a search was conducted on the premises.
The defendant appeared before the court on Tuesday, February 26, 2013 charged with possession of cannabis with the intent to supply to another. The defendant told the court that he was not guilty with the intent to supply but he was guilty of possession.
However, he was informed by the Magistrate that due to the quantity of drugs the police officers only brought the charge of possession with the intent to supply to another against him. Here, the defendant had no choice but to plead guilty to the charge brought against him. This charge carries a much stiffer penalty than the charge of possession of cannabis.
The facts of the case are that at about 4:30 a.m. on the day in question, Con. Nicholas and other officers of the Task Force Unit conducted a search on the premises of the defendant. During the search the officers found one parcel containing vegetable material suspected to be cannabis. The parcel was found in a chest of drawers in his bedroom of the defendant. The drug weighed 126 grams.
The officers also found (27) boxes of cigarette paper and a number of empty dime bags. A further search throughout the house by the officers yielded a quantity of vegetable material in the kitchen and in the front room a garbage bag of compressed vegetable material weighing five pounds.
Cole told Court that he uses the drug as medicine to help with his arthritis. However, Her Honor told him she believed that the drugs were for him to supply to another person due to the quantity of drug found.
Cole was fined $10, 000.00 to be paid in 6 months or serve 12 months imprisonment at HMP.
Also in Court, Lesroy Tuitt of St. Kitts was fined $2000.00 to be paid in 6 months or in default serve 6 months imprisonment. This was after Constable Stevens of the Bike and Patrol Unit ‘busted’ him with drugs after he disembarked the M.V. Carib Surf on February 22, 2013.
The Constable searched the defendant and found one large ziplock bag containing cannabis and some mint bush wrapped with foil paper.
When the defendant was questioned about the findings he replied, ‘Things are hard I’m trying to see if I can get some weed juggle’. The drug weighed 109.2 grams.
Lastly, Malvern ‘Mally’ Walwyn of Hardtimes, Gingerland was the only lucky male out the crew. He too was found with cannabis but he was granted a chance by Magistrate Clarke and spared paying a fine.