A South Ruimveldt man is now a remanded prisoner after being charged yesterday with both having and growing cannabis.
Steve McNeal appeared before two separate city magistrates although both charges that were laid against him stemmed from discoveries made on March 22nd at his 781 National Avenue, South Ruimveldt residence.
McNeal appeared before Magistrate Dylon Bess in Court 6 at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where he was charged with cultivating cannabis. McNeal, a carpenter, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The prosecutor told the court that seven cannabis plants, about three to four inches in height, were in the house, while four plants that were in buckets were found in the yard. The prosecutor added that McNeal allegedly admitted to the police that the plants were his.
But according to McNeal’s lawyer, Mark Forde, his client does not live in the house alone and he is not the owner, since the house is a family home. He also noted that the cultivated cannabis was found in buckets on the septic tank of the residence.
McNeal was granted $120,000 bail by Magistrate Bess, with the condition that he reports to the East La Penitence Police Station every first Monday of the month. He was then ordered to return to court on May 25th.
However, in Court 5, McNeal was read a second charge that he, on the same date, at his residence, allegedly had in his possession 736 grammes of cannabis for trafficking. He pleaded not guilty to this charge as well.
Forde, who also represented McNeal in this matter, told the Magistrate that his client was not so long ago granted bail for the alleged cultivation of cannabis in the same yard.
However, Magistrate Fabayo Azore was unmoved by his application and refused bail. As a result, McNeal was remanded to prison until April 15th, when the case will be called again.
