Two farmers who were charged separately with possession of cannabis with intent to supply have been sentenced to time served, having spent three days in prison on remand.
The men, Joel Harry, 39, of Rose Bank, and Nicholas Franklyn, 53, of Coulls Hill, appeared before Senior Magistrate Colin John at the Serious Offences Court.
Franklyn, a father of four, was charged with having in his possession 153 grams of cannabis with intent to supply, while Harry was similarly charged over 919 grams.
Both men pleaded guilty to their charge when they were arraigned before the Kingstown Magistrate Court on Feb. 23.
Before they were arraigned, the men were granted station bail with one surety each.
However, when they appeared at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court, their bail was increased and they were ordered to surrender their travel documents and stop notices were placed at ports of entry.
They also had reporting conditions attached to their bail and the cases were transferred to the Serious Offences Court.
According to the facts read by the prosecutor, Inspector of Police Renrick Cato, at about 1:20 p.m. on Feb. 20, police officers from the Questelles and Layou police stations were conducting a stop-and-search operation on the Pembroke Public Road.
The party, which was headed by Sergeant 192 Caesar, stopped motor vehicle H974, which was travelling from Buccament Bay in the direction of Kingstown.
Harry was seated in the back row of the vehicle and PC 176 Tucker asked him to exit with his belongings.
Tucker found the marijuana in three transparent bags inside a black bag that Tucker was carrying.
Meanwhile, the police found marijuana in a black bag under the conductor’s seat, where Franklyn had been sitting.
Tucker asked Franklyn about the bag. He responded, “Officer, ah mine.”
In mitigation, lawyer Grant Connell told the court that it would be a travesty of justice if the men were sent to prison for their offences.
He said the men had already spent three days in prison due to the changes in their bail conditions.
Connell noted that the men pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and did not waste the court’s time.
He asked that the men be reprimanded and discharged, adding that the 153 grams of marijuana were valued at about EC$100.
Chief Magistrate Colin John sentenced the men to time served and ordered that the drug be destroyed.