Petit Martinique man to know fate tomorrow

After being found with 118 pounds of marijuana last Thursday and remanded into custody on Friday, a Petit Martinique man was told yesterday that his sentencing would be postponed to tomorrow Wednesday, April 27.{{more}}

Bradley McClean, a fisherman and shipwright, pleaded guilty to three charges, possession with intent to supply, possession for the purpose of drug trafficking and attempting to export 53,572 grams of cannabis at Canouan on April 21.

Police say that around 2:56 p.m., coastguard personnel, acting on information received, went out to sea on coastguard vessel SVG09, in search of a red and yellow 15 foot go-fast boat branded ‘Jah Works’.

The vessel was spotted about 344 miles off Jupiter point and approached by a party of coastguard officers.

Leading seaman Williams, who headed the party, observed that McClean was the captain and lone occupant of the boat that matched the description of the one they were searching for.

The coastguard officers boarded the vessel and when the officers questioned McClean as to whether he had anything illegal onboard, he replied, “Officer, yes, weed”.

This prompted a search of the vessel, where officers discovered three nylon sacks containing 10 brown taped packages hidden in the bow of the boat.

“Officer, ah my weed,” said McClean, before being arrested and taken to the Coastguard Base at Calliaqua.

When he appeared before Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias yesterday at the Serious Offences Court, McClean apologized for the offence and asked for leniency, stating that he is the father of five.

This did not soften Browne-Matthias, as she stated, “I guess you took a big risk hoping for big things, but the big thing is a term of imprisonment.”

The chief magistrate informed McClean that the law permits a fine of three times the street value of the drugs, which is valued at EC$318,600. She also told him that along the lines of possession, the law gives a variety of sentences.

However, she took his youth into consideration and the fact that he has no criminal record and stated that she needed time to consider his sentence.

Browne-Matthias then adjourned the sentence in order to hand down one that “reflects the value of the drug”. (AS)