The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Court Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

THREE men were fined in Magistrate’s Court yesterday after admitting to having more than 1lb of Indian hemp and 18 unfired rounds of ammunition last week.

Alexander Sands, 22, Brandon Pinder, 27, Collins Florissant, 21, Anthon Symonette, 58, Demmon Hale, 25, Roobens Elusme, 23, Latovia Braynen, 23, and Alexis Belle, 36 appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney. There, they faced a shared charge of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply.

Florissant, Symonette and Pinder faced an additional charge of possession of ammunition.

Florissant and Sands were represented by attorney Bjorn Ferguson while attorney Alphonso Lewis represented Pinder.

On December 30, police acting on a search warrant entered an apartment in Ridgeland Park occupied by the eight defendants. A search uncovered drugs hidden in a hamper in an apartment bedroom and in a blue and purple backpack in the kitchen. The drugs were identified as Indian hemp with a collective weight of 1lb and 9 3/8oz.

A further search of the area found 18 live rounds of 9mm ammunition in a nearby derelict vehicle.

While the accused all denied the allegations in a police interview, Sands and Pinder pleaded guilty to the drug charges with Florissant only pleading guilty to the ammunition charge. The remaining accused all pleaded not guilty to their charges resulting in them being withdrawn.

During the defence’s plea of mitigation, it was stated the three young male defendants were remorseful for their actions and had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity to spare the court’s time. It was further said these men were gainfully employed and were capable of rehabilitation. It was asked that the court be lenient in its sentencing and they be spared a custodial sentence.

Mr Ferguson also said Florissant found the ammunition on his way to play games at his friend’s house and he left it in the car because he knew no one went there.

Magistrate McKinney ordered Pinder and Sands to pay a fine of $2,000 for the drug charge or risk six months in prison. For the ammunition charge, Florissant was fined $2,500 or face nine months in prison.

In order to be released from custody, all three accused were told to pay $1,000 of their respective fines with the remainder to be paid by the end of the month.