MICHAEL Whyte, of Lot 177 Triumph, East Coast Demerara, was sentenced to three months imprisonment yesterday, for throwing 60 packets of cigarettes over the wall of the Camp Street Prison in Georgetown. He appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate, Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and pleaded guilty to the offence committed on March 2 when he took the prohibited things into the penitentiary.
Police Corporal, Jairam Luckhai, prosecuting, said the defendant was seen, by a prison officer, throwing a package over the prison wall and informed another prison officer who was stationed outside the jail.
The latter gave chase and arrested Whyte, who, together with the package, was handed over to the police.
The defendant had claimed he was asked to throw the cigarettes over the fence but did not.
However, when the magistrate, on hearing his denial entered a not guilty plea and put him on $50,000 bail, Whyte said he has no one to lodge surety for him and maintained his guilty plea, attracting the sentence.