A city court on Thursday was filled with praises to God after an East Ruimveldt woman was freed of a narcotics trafficking charge.
Melroy Hopkinson, 53, of 489 East Ruimveldt, was charged with having 64 grammes of cannabis in her possession on March 24. She had pleaded not guilty during her arraignment before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, before the matter was transferred to the court of Magistrate Judy Latchman for trial.
Hopkinson was a remanded prisoner until she was freed on Thursday.
At the conclusion of her trial, the magistrate informed the woman that she was found not guilty and was freed of the charge since the prosecution could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she had ownership of the drug.
The police’s case was that members from the Narcotics Branch acted on information which led them to Hopkinson’s shop, where they conducted a search and uncovered the illegal drug in the ceiling.
The prosecutor had also explained that the shop could only be accessed by Hopkinson.
However, attorney Jed Vasconcellos, who represented Hopkinson in association with Nigel Hughes, argued that the shop is easily accessible by other persons. The shop is located some distance away from the house where Hopkinson resides, he said.
When Hopkinson was told of the court’s decision, she continually expressed thanks to God before she was joined by jubilant relatives and a protester who withstood the morning sun with two placards in front of the court to proclaim the woman’s innocence.
