Wayne Venture of Lot 16 Section ‘C’ Christianburg, Linden was remanded to prison last Thursday when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court for allegedly smoking cannabis and being found with a quantity of the illicit drug in a bag that was in his possession.
He initially pleaded guilty to the charges of smoking cannabis and possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking when Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson read them to him, but insisted that the evidence be presented in court.
He admitted that he was found smoking cannabis and that he had 250 grammes of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking on September 10 at Kara Kara on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.
Venture told the court: “I does plant it and then go and sell it. . .I does call um organic black sage.”
The prosecution said that on September 10, a policeman was on patrol duty in the Kara Kara area when he observed Venture smoking something wrapped in a brown paper. Upon closer inspection the policeman discovered that Venture was smoking a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis wrapped in the brown paper.
The policeman then conducted a search on Venture’s person and also checked a blue handbag that he had with him.
The prosecution stated that when the policeman inspected the handbag he found a black plastic bag with a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems also suspected to be cannabis.
The policeman then told Venture of the offences and he admitted to them.
He was then arrested and later charged when the leaves, seeds and stems that he was found smoking and had in his bag were confirmed to be cannabis.
However, Venture asked the magistrate, “Wey deh exhibit, wey de evidence, I wan see it before I go to jail.”
The magistrate then informed Venture that the evidence was not in the court at the time.
When he continued asking to see the cannabis, the magistrate told him that she was going to enter a not guilty plea for him and let the matter go to trial so he could see the evidence against him.
He consented to this and was remanded to prison.
The matter was transferred to the Christianburg Magis-trate’s Court for tomorrow.
