Months after a trafficking in narcotics charge was dismissed against him, a 16-year-old boy is back in court for a similar offence.
The lad appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive Hamilton on Friday charged with possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking to which he pleaded not guilty.
The magistrate released him on $80,000 bail after the prosecution raised no objections.
It is alleged that on November 20 at the Brickdam Police Station, the teenager had two grammes of cannabis in his possession.
Attorney-at-law Adrian Thompson who appeared on behalf of the minor told the court that he had a fixed place of abode in Charlestown and attended adult classes at St Barnabas.
According to the lawyer the teenager was at the station as a consequence of allegations made against him. He said that while there the police alleged that he had what is called a ‘joint.’ Thompson then said that he knew that the magistrate knew him, because of a previous matter of a similar nature. He said that that matter was dismissed so it would be prejudicial to use it against his client.
“You have to turn a blind eye to that because it will be prejudicial to use it against him since it was dismissed,” he stressed.
The magistrate said that the previous offence was not a similar one but was much more serious than the one he now faced.
Prosecutor Shellon Daniels did not object to bail but asked that it be substantial.
The magistrate then told Daniels “You are sending him out to do more drugs.”
The matter continues on February 18 next year.
