Two more sentenced for possession of ganja
Two inmates who pleaded guilty to possession of ganja at Northward Prison were given custodial sentences to run concurrently with whatever term they are serving at the moment.
Robert Lewis Terry, 27, admitted having three small packets of marijuana on 21 August last year, and another quantity in a medicine bottle on 20 September. By weight, they were 3.64 grams and 3.23 grams, respectively.
Terry told Chief Magistrate Nova Hall that he used ganja on and off, to relieve stress. He said the longer he remained in prison the worse the effect would be.
“There’s really no rehab or drug programmes at prison and the ganja is easy to get also,” he asserted.
Terry, who is serving nine years for possession of a firearm, asked for a concurrent sentence because the longer he stayed in prison wouldn’t be any help.
The magistrate noted that Terry had convictions for ganja before he went to prison. On those occasions, he had been fined and then placed on probation.
She said she was giving him credit for his early guilty plea and handed down two sentences of three months. They are consecutive to each other, but starting the day of sentence.
Jordan Powell, 20, received a 30-day sentence, which was to start that same day, while he serves six years for robbery.
Defence attorney Lloyd Samson said there was a dearth of activities at the prison.
“If he were at liberty, he would have a chance for Drug Rehabilitation Court or counselling,” he pointed out, but those initiatives are not available at the prison.
“I know the officers work hard and their intentions are as they should be,” he added.
Mr. Samson asked Chief Magistrate Hall not to add to Powell’s time. He had advised his client that another such offence would mean a sentence consecutive to the one he is now serving.
“I crave the opportunity for him to reflect on that,” Mr. Samson said.
The magistrate said the idea was that these offences not keep cropping up when people are in custody.
Powell had a little more than 1 gram of ganja wrapped in white paper when he was searched last 22 June.
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