August Stapleton, a 40-year-old labourer of Rose Hall was fined $1,000 at the Serious Offences Court on Monday April 27, after he pleaded guilty to possession of 844 grams of cannabis at Kingstown.{{more}}

Information reaching the court stated that at approximately 8:45am on April 20, 2009, a man was spotted by a port police officer carrying a bag on a cart. He then handed the bag to a woman, who was stopped and searched at Gate 5 by the officer. The bag contained one taped packed containing the controlled substance. Another bag containing loose cannabis was also found.

After questioning the woman, she said that it was Stapleton who had given her the bag to carry on to the wharf. Stapleton was arrested in Canouan and admitted that the drugs belonged to him.

In court, Stapleton told Chief Magistrate Sonya Young that he just wanted to make “A lil’ money off of it.”

Chief Magistrate Young chided Stapleton for involving an innocent woman in his illegal activity. “When you involve innocent people, I get very angry. Why don’t you do your thing by yourself?” she asked.

Lawyer Grant Connell represented Stapleton.(KW)