Caribbean news. A drug mule thanked police who intercepted him at the Grantley Adams International Airport and the doctors who performed surgery on him at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), after a package of marijuana burst inside him. Christopher Lockhortor Ellis was one of two Jamaican men who swallowed packages of marijuana before coming into Barbados last month.
The 39-year-old upholsterer from #121 Nessbury Drive, St Elizabeth appeared in the District “B” Magistrates’ Court yesterday, as did Sydney Sylvester Simpson, a 56-year-old mason of Lot 260 Kyntier, Kingston who appeared separately.
Christopher Ellis .Photo courtesy http://www.barbadostoday.bb
Both pleaded guilty to charges of possession, possession with intent to supply, trafficking and importing marijuana. Ellis, who was passing through Barbados on February 18 en route to St Lucia, was interviewed by police on suspicion of having drugs after arriving at the Grantley Adams International Airport.
Ellis was taken to the QEH where he passed out 41 packages. However, an X-ray was done and doctors realized that one package had burst and had to operate on the Jamaican. He told police that he was bringing the pound of marijuana for a friend “to make tea”.
After telling the court that it was not his first time transporting the illegal drug, Ellis insisted that he “would not do it again”. Acting Magistrate Anthony Blackman fined him ,000 with an alternative of eight months in jail for trafficking, plus ,000 for importing the substance or six months in jail.
Sydney Simpson. Photo courtesy http://www.barbadostoda
He was reprimanded and discharged for intent to supply the drugs and convicted, reprimanded and discharged for possession. Simpson, a father of four, was fined $15,000 for trafficking two pounds of marijuana, with an alternative of 12 months behind bars, and a further $8,000 for possession of the drug, with an alternative of nine months in jail.
He was reprimanded and discharged on the intent to supply charge and convicted, reprimanded and discharged for importation.
Neither Jamaican was able to pay the fines. Their prison terms will run concurrently. The facts revealed that Simpson came to the island on a flight from Trinidad on February 25. He was interviewed by police at the airport and was later examined and detained at the QEH where he passed
132 packages.
He told police at the time that it was for his personal use. Simpson told the magistrate that he brought the drugs to Barbados in an effort to help support his four children and apologized for breaking the law. Blackman responded by telling Simpson that he was “too old” to be doing things like this. Article courtesy http://www.barbadostoday.bb
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