A prisoner serving a sentence at the Camp Street Prisons was yesterday handed a three-year jail sentence and ordered to pay a fine of $10,000 for having a quantity of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.
Ovid Joseph appeared before acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court accused of having in his possession 55 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking on September 28 at Georgetown.
In his guilty plea, the defendant told the court that he is at present serving a prison sentence and was sent to Grove, East Bank Demerara to perform prison-assigned tasks when he found a bag which he decided to keep, not knowing its contents at the time.
Upon his return to the Camp Street prisons where he was being kept, Joseph said that prison officials conducted a search and the illegal substance was uncovered.
Pleading for mercy, the defendant told the court that he had no idea that the bag he had in his possession contained cannabis.
“Please be lenient with me meh worship. I din know the bag had cannabis in it,” Joseph lamented.
The father of five was later sentenced to three years imprisonment and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.
