Minivan conductor jailed on drug charge

A minivan conductor from the South Leeward constituency received a seven-month prison sentence yesterday for having three pounds of cannabis in his possession.

Jomarlo Dunbar, 26, pleaded guilty that on January 13, 2017 at Belle Isle he had 1,450 grams of cannabis with intent to supply to another.

The Serious Offences Court heard that Dunbar was apprehended at Belle Isle, when officers conducting stop and search duties stopped a passenger van making its way from Spring Village.

According to police, a black plastic bag was found under a seat in the van and the conductor of the van pointed out Dunbar as the owner.

Dunbar did not deny ownership and two brown taped packages were found in it. His response was: “Officer me girlfriend ah mek baby, so me ah do something to try mek something.”

Yesterday, during mitigation, Dunbar told the court that he was working on a passenger van, but after numerous mechanical problems, he became unemployed.

The minivan conductor reiterated that his unemployed girlfriend was five months pregnant and he urged the court to impose a fine.

However, Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias told him that he would find himself in the same “sauce” to pay a fine if one was imposed.

She then sentenced him to seven months in prison.

When Dunbar returned to the prisoner’s bench, he told the Chief Magistrate that his pregnant girlfriend was outside and implied that she won’t be able to take care of herself if he were imprisoned.

“Pregnancy is not a sickness,” she replied and encouraged Dunbar to let his girlfriend find a job.

When Dunbar first appeared before the court earlier this year, he pleaded not guilty to the charge; however, yesterday he decided to change his plea.

He had been granted bail in the sum of EC$2,500, but it appears that he has been in police custody since then.(AS)