Just months after getting off with a just a fine for cultivating ganja, a Sophia man’s luck ran out yesterday when he was jailed for ganja found in his home during a raid by police.
Telly Morgan, a 34-year-old father of two was found guilty of trafficking 22 grammes of cannabis, which police say was found in his pants pocket at his Lot 315 Ramsingh Street, ‘B’ Field, Sophia home. He was sentenced to three years in prison.
Additionally, Morgan, 34, was informed by Magistrate Judy Latchman, who presided over his trial at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, that he has to also pay a fine of $10,000.
Prosecutor Joel Ricknauth informed the court that Morgan had been fined $20,000 and ordered to perform community service after being found guilty of cultivating cannabis in April of this year.
But Morgan, through his lawyer Dexter Todd, said that the he had pleaded guilty to the offence as opposed to being convicted.
Nevertheless, Magistrate Latchman upbraided Morgan, saying that he should have learnt his lesson after being found guilty in April by Magistrate Sueanna Lovell at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.
Todd begged the court for lenience after being told that his client had been found guilty.
He asked the court to consider the fact that his client had never been absent from any of his hearings and has always been respectful of the court.
Morgan’s common-law wife Stacey Robinson wept bitterly after the sentence was handed down.
She too was charged with Morgan for the offence. It was alleged that at 315 Ramsingh Street, ‘B’ Field, Sophia, they had 22 grammes of cannabis in their possession for the purpose of trafficking. Robinson was, however, found not guilty some time ago.
Police said that in the wee hours of the morning on June 14, a party of ranks went to Morgan’s home where a search was conducted and the illegal item found contained in one of Morgan’s pants pocket. The court was told that the cannabis was found in 18 Ziploc bags and amounted to 22 grammes when weighed. He was told of the offence committed, arrested and charged.
