Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo sentenced a woman to three years imprisonment after she admitted to a charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking at the New Amsterdam Court on Friday.
Reports are that on May 18, the woman, Viola Sammy of Angoy’s Avenue, NA, who had been convicted on another narcotics matter and released four months ago, had in her possession six grammes of cannabis sativa.
Police Prosecutor, Inspector Satrohan Dayaram told the court that during a mobile patrol in the Angoy’s Avenue area police observed that the defendant was acting in a suspicious manner.
He related that the woman who was carrying a small parcel attempted to hide it in her back pants pocket upon seeing the police vehicle approaching.
The police then stopped her and conducted a search and the paper parcel containing leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be marijuana was found. She was told of the offence, arrested and charged.
Sammy begged the magistrate for leniency and stated that she has five children to take care of. She said her eldest child is 15 years old.
The prosecutor however informed the court that three of the woman’s children are residing at an orphanage in Berbice and that the other two are staying with relatives.
He said too that she had been sentenced on similar matters. Along with the three-year jail term the woman was fined $30,000.