CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – ROHAN HUTTON, Clarence Samuel and Reece Williams were convicted and fined by Charlestown Magistrate Yasmin Clarke after appearing in her court on Tuesday (Nov. 24) to answer illegal drug charges.
The three were charged with possession and possession with intent to supply marijuana.
Hutton of Chicken Stone and Samuel of Cotton Ground were fined $5 000 each or one month in prison; while Williams of Lodge Village in St, Kitts was fined $8 000 or 18 months in prison. The fines were ordered to be paid forthwith.
Two officers of the Royal St. Kitts and Nevis Police Force testified that on November 9, 2009, while in the Pinney’s area they spotted a red car P8894, driven by Rohan Hutton. The officers stopped the vehicle for a routine search and the passenger in the back seat, Reece Williams, fled the vehicle and threw a black bag into the bushes. The officers chased after Williams and found the black bag filled with compressed marijuana.
The trio was taken to the Charlestown Police Station where they were formally charged with the offence. A searched carried out on the vehicle revealed one packet of transparent Ziploc bags. Officers also searched the three men and found EC$2 130 and US$20 in the underwear of Williams.
Hutton, in his defence, stated that he was giving Samuel a lift home to Cotton Ground and while on his way he saw Reece begging for a lift outside Octogon on the main road in Charlestown. He said he also offered the defendant a lift.
“I am so sad about the situation, I don’t mix up myself in these things,” Hutton said.
Samuel told the court he was drunk and did not know what happened that night.
Williams said he takes full responsibly for the drugs. He stated that on that same day he was at Sunshine Bar liming when a white man came up to him and gave him the black bag and said that he found it on the beach and don’t know what to do with it. Williams said that he told the man that he is a user and took the bag. Despite Reece taking full responsibility for the drugs the Magistrate was convinced that the other two were not innocent.
“I find you all guilty and you guys come here and lie about this, especially Reece with this white man story, I don’t believe nothing you all saying,” said Magistrate Clarke, before passing sentence.
