A teenager who admitted to selling marijuana to maintain his siblings and sick grandmother was fined $1,200 yesterday.
Odel Charles, 19, gave this explanation when he appeared in the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court charged with marijuana possession.
His attorney Frank Gittens, told the court the teen’s mother died and his father did not play a role in his life.
He was arrested around 9 pm on Sunday.
Prosecutor Cleyon Seedan said PC Mahabir was on patrol when he saw Charles and other persons sitting on the road at Church Street, Golconda.
Charles was staring at an area and fidgeting. The officer became suspicious and searched under a galvanize where he found 20 grammes of marijuana in a bag.
The teen claimed ownership of the illicit herb and told the officer, “Boss, I selling that to mine my family.” Asking for leniency, Gittens said Charles, a market vendor, was a first time offender and was remorseful.
Gittens said his client cares for his three siblings ages six, 12 and 14 and his grandmother who is undergoing dialysis treatment. First Court Senior Magistrate Jo-Anne Connor gave him 28 days to pay the fine or he will serve three months in prison.
In the same court, Junior Young, 43, a machine operator, also admitted that around 12.45 pm on May 24 the police searched his house at Taradale, Ste Madeleine and found a white plastic bag with marijuana in a cupboard.
When PC Loutan confronted him with the drug, he said, “That’s ah lil smoke ah have”.
The marijuana weighed 75 grammes.
Gittens, who also represented Young, said the accused was charged once before but the matter was dismissed. The magistrate gave him seven days to pay a $2,000 fine or in default serve four months hard labour.
