The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Court Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

SIX Jamaicans were sentenced to two and a half years in prison in a Magistrate’s Court yesterday after admitting to having a drug farm in Andros with marijuana plants worth $2.5m.

Leroy Douglas, 52, Walford Reid, 56, Jermaine Jones, 39, Devon Simpson, 44, Bruce Palmer, 42 and Everton Palmer, 44, all from Jamaica faced Magistrate Samuel McKinney on four drug charges.

These include conspiracy to possess dangerous drugs with intent to supply, possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply, cultivation of dangerous drugs and a charge of simple possession of dangerous drugs.

At around 4.30pm on August 14, officers from the Drug Enforcement Unit, the Criminal Investigations Department and local Andros police acting on information arrested the accused after they discovered four acres of marijuana fields in North Andros. According to police reports these drug farms had more than 25,000 Indian Hemp plants on them ranging in height from one to eight feet. These drug fields have a collective estimated value of $2.5m.

The suspects were further charged with simple drug possession after a police search of their residence found an additional four grams of marijuana in two ziplock bags hidden in a dresser.

In court, all six accused pleaded guilty to all charges against them. It was then revealed by Prosecutor Inspector Timothy Bain that when police, acting on a search warrant, went to Douglas’ residence, he immediately admitted to the offence of cultivating marijuana. Douglas would further cooperate with police by willingly indicating where the four marijuana fields were located along a dirt track road.

It was further stated that the six Jamaicans all came to the Bahamas for construction work and that they all turned to weed farming to provide for their respective families when their nobs fell through. Douglas indicated that he first arrived in the country in May. None of the accused has any prior convictions in this jurisdiction.

All six accused apologised for their actions and asked for the court’s mercy to spare their families.

While Magistrate McKinney acknowledged that the accused only came to the country in search of employment to provide for their loved ones he still admonished them for turning to crime when their jobs didn’t pan out.

In taking into consideration their early plea of guilt to spare the court’s time, the magistrate sentenced each to a concurrent two and a half years at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS) for the conspiracy, cultivation and possession with intent to supply charges. Additionally the six men were ordered to pay a $7,500 fine for the conspiracy charge or risk an additional six months at BDCS. The accused further faced a $250 fine or one additional month in custody for the simple possession charge.

Before being taken into custody, the accused were informed of their right to appeal the court’s sentencing within seven days.