A 25-year-old Ottley Hall man who owes the court EC$500 of an EC$700 fine for the possession of ammunition dating back to 2024 has paid a fine of EC$140 forthwith for the possession of cocaine, thereby avoiding prison time.
Emmanuel Myers appeared before Chief Magistrate Colin John at the Serious Offences Court and pleaded guilty to a charge that on May 28, he had in his possession 2.88 grammes of cocaine with the intent to supply it to another.
The facts, read by the prosecutor, Inspector of Police Renrick Cato, are that on May 26, at 12:30 p.m., a party of police officers was on mobile patrol in Rose Place.
While they were in the vicinity of Randy’s Supermarket, PC869 Child, one of the officers, observed Myers opposite the supermarket acting suspiciously.
Child approached Myers and requested a search of his person and a black bag he had over his shoulder.
Myers consented to the search.
Inside the shoulder bag were two aluminium foil wrappings and a transparent bag which contained a solid, whitish substance resembling cocaine.
Child showed the items to Myers and cautioned him.
Myers replied, “Officer, the bag is not my bag. Somebody give me the bag to hold and me nah know the body.”
Myers was arrested and charged.
He was subsequently arrested and charged with the offence.
In mitigation, Myers told the court he still owes EC$700 on an ammunition charge dating back to 2024.
In December 2024, Myers was arrested and charged with possession of one round of 9mm ammunition without a license issued under the Firearms Act.
He was fined EC$700 to be paid in one month or spend three months in prison.
Myers told the court he went away and had planned “to pay it off” but got “caught up” in the new charge.
He asked the magistrate to give him time to pay.
The magistrate fined Myers EC$140 on the cocaine charge to be paid forthwith or, in default, three months in prison.
The magistrate also ordered that the drug be destroyed.
The magistrate told Myers that the fine had to be paid forthwith because of his record of failing to honour his obligations to the court.