Acting Chief Magistrate Cecil Sullivan yesterday granted bail to a minor while three persons were remanded to prison after pleading not guilty to charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking.
According to the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court report Mark Ellis, 33, of 7 New Market Street, Cummingsburg, Natasha Smith, 30, Donna Dow, 35, and a 15-year-old last Saturday, at 17 Charlotte Street, allegedly had in their possession 471 grammes of ganja for the purpose of trafficking. The teenager was granted bail in the sum of $40,000.
Reports are that the police searched the home and found the narcotics. The inhabitants were told of the offence, arrested and charged.
Attorney-at-law Basil Williams, who represented the four accused, told the court that the minor should be released as her age warrants consideration as a special circumstance. He said the four-bedroom home was rented to different persons and the police found the ganja in the hallway and not in any of the rooms. He said Smith was not at home at the time the drug was discovered yet she was allowed to go inside and was then charged. Williams also said Ellis is well known and indicated the presence of Ellis’s mother at court. He said he was not sure how the drug got into the hallway and argued that given the circumstances bail should be granted to the minor and Smith.
Police Prosecutor Maxine Graham, in her submissions, asked the magistrate to refuse bail because the drug was found in the home when police conducted a search.
In response Williams restated his arguments and called for Graham to inform the court of her facts as if she did otherwise she would be “oppressing” the people. Graham responded that the defence counsel was only making a bail application and said that she had read the file before and had stated the facts.
After listening to the arguments the court handed down its decision. The four accused were ordered to appear at Court Three on February 21.
