A Charity Essequibo Coast vendor was on Monday sentenced to prison in absentia when charges of drug trafficking and wounding against him concluded before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Charity Magistrate’s Court.
Forty-year-old Roland Campbell of Charity Housing Scheme was charged with the possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking and with wounding a police officer.
It is the prosecution’s case that on May 19 at around 11.15 am, acting on information, the police went to Campbell’s stall at the Charity Water Front and conducted a search in the stall. Below a glass case, the police found 3 bulky plastic bags; one black, the other blue and white and the third red and white.
In the black plastic bag, there were 40 Ziploc bags, which contained leaves, seeds and stems, the prosecutor said. The blue and white bag contained 7 more Ziploc bags which had leaves, seeds and stems and the red and white plastic bag had a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems which were all suspected to be marijuana.
When the bags were found, the prosecutor said, Campbell ran out of the stall and in his bid to escape, shoved Constable 20387 Singh into a wall and as a result, the officer sustained injuries. Campbell was arrested and taken to the Charity Police Station where the suspected marijuana was weighed. The 40 Ziploc bags had 52 grammes of marijuana, while the 7 Ziploc bags had another 5.5 grammes and the red and white bag contained 23.5 grammes of marijuana which amounted to a total of 81 grammes.
Campbell who was represented by Attorney Latchmie Dindyal made his first court appearance on May 20 where he pleaded not guilty and he was placed on $200,000 bail by Magistrate Dellon Bess.
Magistrate Scarce commenced trial into the matter and on August 18 a prime facie case was established against Campbell and he was called upon to lead a defence. The man then absented himself from court for three consecutive court dates and on September 22 his bail was escheated and an arrest warrant was issued.
Magistrate Scarce yesterday recalled the warrant and the case was tried ex parte. Campbell was found guilty and sentenced to 4 years in prison for the possession of narcotics and 3 months for wounding the police officer. The sentences will run consecutively.
