A 34-year-old Bourda market vendor of Lot 103 Carmichael Street, Georgetown, yesterday was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment and fined $639,000 for possession of narcotics after being found guilty after a three-month trial. Roger Gill was found guilty as charged for the offence that said on May 8, at Bourda, Georgetown, he had in his possession 426 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.
The prosecution’s facts stated that on the day in question a rank received a tip about the drug and went to investigate. He subsequently found the illicit substance at Gill’s stall. Apparently it was displayed ‘for sale’, while more of the substance was found in a black bag in the back of the stall.
During the trial, a police officer testified that Gill had admitted to him under caution that “it was ting and I trying a ting to mek an extra dollar.”
When called to lead a defence, Gill said that he was innocent of the charge and called a witness to testify on his behalf. The witness explained that he had known Gill for over five years and was present on the day at the stall when the offence was allegedly committed. He said that he had to lockup his friend’s shop after the police arrested him. He said that Gill along with another person was arrested. However, the other person was released later.
The magistrate explained that she was satisfied with the prosecution’s case made out against Gill and every element of the offence had been proved to indicate that Gill was indeed in control and had knowledge of the illicit substance.
In addition, knowledge of the drug was proven when under caution he told the officer that, “I was trying a ting to mek an extra dollar.’’ While his attorney Clive Forde tried to implicate another person to prove that there were multiple persons occupying the stall, his client never said so when he was given the chance to address the court.
The magistrate told the defendant that the court had considered his antecedents, the quantum of the drug and the seriousness of the offence before handing down the sentence. Gill was fined $639,000 along with four years’ imprisonment.