[Sativa]

A blind 72-year-old man found himself remanded into police custody yesterday when he appeared in the Half Way Tree Resident Magistrate's Court for allegedly trying to smuggle 160 pounds of compressed marijuana to Britain.

According to the prosecution, Milton Dennis, a resident of Mandeville in Manchester, allegedly went to the Norman Manley International Airport on March 28 and checked three suitcases in on an Air Jamaica flight to London. Just before departure, the suitcases were checked and were found to contain a total of 115 parcels of compressed ganja, weighing a total of 160 pounds.

Dennis' attorney argued before presiding magistrate Judith Pusey that his client did not know that the drugs were in his suitcases because they were packed by a friend of Dennis, identified as 'Roy'. Roy, the lawyer told the court, was well-known to Dennis and had been serving as his gardener for quite some time. The marijuana, the lawyer said, was wrapped in packaging that prevented its scent from being detected.

The officer assisting the prosecution, however, told Resident Magistrate Pusey that after being cautioned for the drug-related offences, Dennis said that he met Roy recently, and also that Roy would be meeting him some time in the future to collect the drugs.

RM Pusey was not convinced by the arguments of the blind man's lawyer and opted to remand Dennis into police custody.

She also sent out a warning to persons with disabilities that they would not receive special treatment in her court when they faced drug-related charges.

"I've seen persons who have cancer, who have wheelchairs, try to smuggle drugs because they expect that the court is going to give them special consideration in the event that they are caught. It is not going to happen here," the magistrate said.

Dennis will again appear before the court on April 20.



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Source: Jamaica Observer
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Copyright: Jamaica Observer
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