Man fined $1,000 for cannabis

[0utrider]

A 30-year-old man found with 26 grammes of cannabis was yesterday fined for the offence.

Phillip Emanuel of Villa pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis when he appeared in the St. John’s Magistrate’s Court before Acting Chief Magistrate Asquith Riviere.

Emanuel was therefore convicted and ordered to pay $1,000 forthwith. He risked spending three months with hard labour in prison.

A second charge of possession with intent to transfer was withdrawn by the prosecution.

Members of the Narcotics Squad, headed by Inspector Davis, on 18 April, at about 6:30 a.m., went on duty in the Villa area.

The lawmen, who were in possession of a search warrant, met Emanuel and read the warrant to him.

The officers entered his home and while searching Emanuel’s bedroom, found a brown paper bag on a chair, containing six small plastic bags with what appeared to be cannabis.

The bag also contained $1,005, a brown cap, which had three small plastic bags with the illegal drugs.

Emanuel told the officers that the cannabis was for his personal use.

He was arrested and charged.

Attorney Dexter Wason said Emanuel is the owner of a water sports business and the father of one.

Wason said Emanuel, a member of the Rastafarian community, had some concern with the amount of drugs the police reported finding. Apparently, the drugs were weighed in the paper bag in which they were found, and Wason contended that this would make a difference.

The attorney said his client was throwing himself at the mercy of the court.

Wason also asked that the court instruct the police to return a number of items taken from Emanuel’s home, including his voter identification card, passport, driver’s licence, the money and a set of licence plates for his pickup, which the police advised Emanuel should have been returned to the Transport Board.

Emanuel has no prior convictions.

An order was made for the drugs to be destroyed.

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