Lavia sentenced to 9 months for cannabis

Otnel Lavia, a 23 year-old labourer of Petit Bordel was given a nine-month prison sentence for being in possession of 13,393 grams of cannabis with intent to supply on June 17,2006.

When Lavia appeared last Monday morning at the Magistrate’s Court in Kingstown, he wasted no time in pleading guilty to the charge laid against him.{{more}}

Reports reaching the court stated that at about 12:35 p.m. members of the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) and Special Service Unit (SSU) went to the defendant’s home in Petit Bordel to execute a search warrant but instead they met his mother. The officers informed her of their mission and she consented to the search. On examination, they discovered two plastic buckets containing a plant material resembling cannabis which were opened in front of Lavia’s mother and she replied, “Is me son own.” She was even successful in locating Lavia on the same day. He was told of the offence and he said, “Is weed and is mine.”

Defense Counsel, Stephen Williams said, the fact that his client cooperated fully with the police was a mitigating factor the court should consider. He said that Lavia “is very young and young people make mistakes.” Lavia had no previous convictions.