Two Albouystown residents accused of narcotics trafficking were yesterday remanded by Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton.
The allegation against Troy Barclay, 40, and Norma Baker-Parris, 65, is that on June 30, at Albouystown, they had in their possession 88 grammes of cannabis sativa for the purpose of trafficking.
They denied the charge when it was read to them at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
The prosecution, who objected to the defendants being admitted to bail, is arguing that a party of policemen, who received information, went to the Lot 31 Albouys Street, Albouystown location and told Baker-Parris that they wanted to conduct a search of the premises.
According to Corporal Simone Payne, who presented the police’s case, Baker-Parris had a key to the storeroom in which the illegal substance was found contained in a plastic bag in a bucket. Payne said also that Barclay would borrow the key to enter that storeroom at times.
Attorney Gordon Gilhuys who represented Baker-Parris, asked for bail, saying that there existed special reasons relating to the offence with which his client has been charged.
Gilhuys explained that his client resides on the top flat of the building in which the alleged narcotic was found. According to him, the illegal substance was found in a bucket in the lower storeroom apartment of the building which his client had no control of.
Meanwhile, the presiding magistrate explained to the unrepresented Barclay, who requested bail, that he had to provide the court with special reasons relating to the offence and not him, for it to be considered.
Barclay, who also resides at the said Albouystown address, said that he was going to make a purchase when he was stopped by a group of policemen who accused him of owning the narcotics. According to him, he had just left his home when a bus containing the lawmen stopped alongside him. He said that one of the policemen jumped out of the vehicle and dealt him a lash to his head with his gun. Barclay said that he knew nothing about the offence for which he has been charged.
After listening to the facts of the case, the magistrate informed the defendants that they would be remanded to prison because the facts of the prosecution differed from that of the defence. This, she said, will be an issue to be ventilated at the trial.
The case will be called again on July 18 at Court One.
Meanwhile, Barclay alone was charged with possession of one gramme of cannabis on June 30, to which he pleaded guilty. He was fined $5,000 for that offence.
