The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A REPEAT offender found with a quantity of marijuana was on Friday sentenced to prison for six months.

Police arrested Seven Hepburn, 26, after they found him with nine grams of Indian hemp on February 17.

He pleaded guilty to one count of simple possession during his hearing before Deputy Chief Magistrate Forbes.

That night, the court was told, officers on mobile patrol in the Wulff Road area received a tip regarding a black Nissan Note. After making inquiries, they came across the car on East Street.

The prosecution said when Hepburn, who was driving the vehicle, looked in the direction of the officers, he took off. After a brief car chase, he got out of his car and tried to flee on foot.

He was detained by officers a short distance away.

When they searched him, they found five small Ziploc bags containing a quantity of suspected marijuana. Hepburn was subsequently arrested and taken to a nearby station where he admitted the offence and claimed he had bought the drugs for his personal use. The court was told that Hepburn had been convicted of drug offences of a similar nature on more than one occasion in the past.

During the hearing, his attorney, Tonique Lewis, told the magistrate that her client was the sole breadwinner for his family since his girlfriend who was currently pregnant with his child, was not working. She also said that Hepburn had been incarcerated on his birthday and argued that that fact alone was punishment for his actions.

However, Magistrate Forbes noted that Hepburn had revived convictions for drug related offences over the last three years. He said it appeared that the accused had not learned his lessons from the fines he had received. As a result, he sentenced him to six months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

Meanwhile, Kenneth Prosper, 23, was arrested after he was found with 12 grams of marijuana on February 17.

He also pleaded guilty to one count of simple possession when he appeared before Magistrate Forbes.

The prosecution said that around 6.35pm that evening, officers on mobile patrol in the Nassau Village area saw Prosper driving a grey Honda. They then beckoned for him to stop and told him he would be searched for dangerous drugs and firearms. During their investigation, officers found a clear plastic bag with suspected marijuana in Prosper’s right pants pocket and a single joint in the accused’s right hand. He was subsequently arrested. In an interview with officers at the Drug Enforcement Unit he admitted the offence and said he had bought the drugs for $15.

After accepting his guilty plea, Magistrate Forbes granted Prosper a conditional discharge on the agreement that he would attend drug counselling for one year. He warned him that if he failed to comply with the conditions of his release, he would be sentenced to three months behind bars.