Resh­ma Ra­goonath

De­fence at­tor­ney Ains­ley Lucky sought to cap­i­talise on good­will and Christ­mas cheer yes­ter­day when he asked that URP em­ploy­ee Kennedy Fleary be rep­ri­mand­ed and dis­charged on mar­i­jua­na pos­ses­sion charges. How­ev­er San Fer­nan­do Sec­ond Court Mag­is­trate Roger Ram­goolam was not swayed by the yule­tide spir­it and im­posed a fine of $800 or one month hard labour for the nar­cot­ic of­fence. Fleary was among four men who were or­dered to pay a to­tal of $2800 in fines yes­ter­day for mar­i­jua­na pos­ses­sion.

Fleary, 30, of Carl­ton Lane, San Fer­nan­do, ap­peared be­fore Ram­goolam charged with pos­ses­sion of two grammes of mar­i­jua­na at Na­pari­ma Ma­yaro Road, Co­coyea, San Fer­nan­do. The labour­er, who was ar­rest­ed by PC Mat­loo, plead­ed guilty to the charge. Po­lice Pros­e­cu­tor Sgt Wen­dell Fer­nan­do told the court at around 11.30 am on De­cem­ber 23, PC Mat­loo had cause to stop a ve­hi­cle along Na­pari­ma Ma­yaro Road. Fleary was an oc­cu­pant of that car. The of­fi­cer, up­on search­ing the man, found two grammes of mar­i­jua­na.

Lucky, in his plea in mit­i­ga­tion asked Ram­goolam: "Could you spread a lit­tle hol­i­day cheer with a rep­ri­mand and dis­charge?" How­ev­er the mag­is­trate replied: "That does not make sense. Oth­ers got $500 fines and he had twice their amount." He or­dered Fleary to pay $800 or serve one month hard labour. Soufrey Bram­ble, of Ram­bert Vil­lage, San Fer­nan­do, al­so did not es­cape a fine yes­ter­day af­ter he plead­ed guilty to hav­ing four grammes of mar­i­jua­na in his pos­ses­sion on De­cem­ber 23 at Carib Street, San Fer­nan­do. Lucky, who rep­re­sent­ed Bram­ble pro bono, said the 41 year-old fa­ther of one had the mar­i­jua­na for his per­son­al use. "He was mis­di­rect­ed on how he should cel­e­brate the hol­i­days," Lucky sub­mit­ted.

Ram­goolam or­dered Bram­ble to pay $1000 or serve two months hard labour. Bram­ble was ar­rest­ed around 11.40 pm and charged by PC Richard Kishore. The Sec­ond Court mag­is­trate al­so or­dered fa­ther of two Cur­tis Pierre, 35, and Hen­ry James, 30, a fa­ther of four, to pay $500 each or serve one month hard labour af­ter they plead­ed guilty to pos­ses­sion of one gramme of mar­i­jua­na. They were ar­rest­ed yes­ter­day af­ter po­lice stopped their ve­hi­cle along Na­pari­ma Ma­yaro Road, San Fer­nan­do.