A man who told the court that he was not aware that over a kilogram of cocaine was in his suitcase was fined a total of $200,000 and sentenced to 18 months in prison when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court last Friday.
Pleading not guilty to conspiring to import cocaine and guilty to possession of cocaine, dealing in cocaine and importing cocaine is Robert Gilchist from Kingston.
According to reports, the accused entered Jamaica from Trinidad and 2.8 pounds or 1.2 kilograms of cocaine was found in his luggage.
The accused told the court that he was not aware that the contraband was in his possession and recalled asking his friend in Trinidad to purchase the suitcase for him.
"I didn't have a clue that drugs was in my luggage. While in Trinidad, I asked a friend to buy a suitcase for me because when me and my wife get off work it would have been too late, I went to my friend for the suitcase, packed my clothes and went on my merry way. I didn't know he was in drugs business," he explained.
Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey asked Gilchist "you ever get in trouble before?" to which he responded, "yes, for some small ting, weed and all that for about two times."
She then questioned "what quantity?" "bout half pound," he answered.
She further asked him, "how many times you got in trouble for the half pound?" to which he reiterated his earlier response.
Gilchist was fined $150,000 for the possession of cocaine or spend six months in prison, $20,000 for the dealing in cocaine or spend six months and $30,000 or six months for the importing cocaine charge.
No evidence was offered for the conspiracy to import cocaine charge. He was also sentenced to 18 months in prison.
No comments:
Post a Comment