Alex Persaud, who was caught with a container of cocaine in his mouth during a police search, was yesterday sentenced to a total of four years imprisonment after pleading guilty to possession of the drug and utensils for using it.
Persaud, 38, pleaded guilty to the charges read against him and begged the Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry to be lenient with him.
“Ah just asking yuh to be lenient wid me,” he said. “Since ah come out of prison de 12th September, I ain’t getting wuk, they asking fuh police clearance… Instead of robbing ah doing something fuh survive,” he said before he was sentenced.
Prosecutor Bharat Mangru told the court that on October 28, at Stabroek, police ranks on patrol saw a group of men in the area acting suspiciously. The ranks, who were in plain clothes, stopped and identified themselves to the men and then conducted a search on them which uncovered on Persaud utensils used for consuming cocaine.
Mangru said police also observed a string hanging out of Persaud’s mouth and requested him to open it. A small container with what was suspected to be cocaine was found, according to Mangru, who also stated that Persaud was subsequently told of the allegation and arrested.
The Chief Magistrate imposed a three-year jail term and a $30,000 fine on Persaud for possession of the cocaine and a one-year jail term and a $15,000 fine for the possession of the utensils.
