Joseph Winston John, at whose home police found over 300 grammes of marijuana in June, was yesterday sentenced to four years in jail for possession of the drug for trafficking.
The charge against John stated that on June 30, at Norton Street, Lodge, he had in his possession 326 grammes of cannabis for trafficking.
At the conclusion of his trial before Magistrate Judy Latchman, John closed his case after calling his sister, Tandeka Hart, as a witness. Subsequent to her evidence, both John’s attorney, Clyde Forde, and police prosecutor Shawn Gonsalves gave closing addresses. Forde maintained that his no-case submission should be upheld as the prosecution had not proven its case beyond a reasonable.
Prosecutor Gonsalves stated, however, that the defendant ought to be found guilty of the offence based on the evidence presented by the prosecution’s witnesses. He also urged the court to see the defendant’s witness as one of convenience and to disregard her testimony.
Magistrate Latchman, in her ruling, stated that she disbelieved the unsworn evidence presented by John and also disbelieved the “web of lies” told by his sister, who was present in court when he gave his unsworn evidence and was therefore able to tailor her evidence to match it.
It was further stated that the court believed that John had knowledge, control and possession of the drugs for the purpose of trafficking. On these grounds, he was found guilty of the offence.
Prior to sentencing, Forde urged the court to be lenient with John as he is a first time offender and the father of a three-year-old child. Magistrate Latchman nevertheless sentenced the defendant to 48 months in jail and fined him $489,000.
The defendant, who was left in awe and bewilderment by the sentence, stood motionless afterward and had to ask both his sister and the attorney to confirm what the magistrate stated.
“Do not try this again,” John was told by the magistrate before he was escorted out of the courtroom.
