Bajan deported for weed

Barbadian national Overard Oliver was on Tuesday, November 30, sentenced to 18 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to a drug possession charge.{{more}}

Chief Magistrate Sonya Young handed down the sentence to Oliver when he appeared at the Serious Offences Court charged with possession of 13,620 grams of cannabis.

Oliver was jointly charged with Ronnie Thompson, of Glen. He, however, pleaded not guilty and the charge was withdrawn against him.

The court was told that police officers went to execute a search warrant at Thompson’s home at about 5:30 am, when both men were met.

A search carried out in one of the bedrooms found two white plastic buckets containing the cannabis. Both men were cautioned and Oliver claimed ownership of the drug by saying: “The weed is mine.”

Mitigating on his behalf, lawyer Andreas Coombs said it was “unfortunate” that Oliver found himself such a situation. Coombs pleaded with Magistrate Young to show some leniency on Oliver by deporting him forthwith.

He further added that his client was given the buckets to hold and did not know what they contained. “Basically, your worship, he was tricked, but he did not waste the court’s time and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity,” Coombs said. (KW)