Two months added to Owia man’s jail term

Two months have been added to the 10-month sentence Owia resident Carlos Baptiste received earlier this year.

On January 16, 2017, Baptiste was found guilty of being in illegal possession of five rounds of 12-gauge ammunition and was sentenced to 10 months in prison.

The 50-year-old man had pleaded not guilty to the ammunition charge when he first appeared before the court last October, along with a charge he faced for having 91 rocks of cocaine in his possession.

These matters were tried separately and when he reappeared before the Serious Offences Court last Tuesday, Baptiste received a 12-month prison sentence for the cocaine.

The sentences will run concurrently.

Baptiste was arrested on October 8, 2016, when he aroused the suspicions of station sergeant Nolan Dallaway and a party from the Rapid Response Unit, which was conducting stop and search duties along the Owia public road.

Baptiste was seen sitting in his porch and when he saw the officers, Dallaway observed that he moved to the downstairs of the house. Dallaway alerted PC 381 McDowall and both officers followed Baptiste and saw him throw a transparent plastic bag into some nearby dasheen plants.

When retrieved, the bag was found to contain the five rounds of ammunition and some foil wrappings.

The Rapid Response Unit has maintained a strong presence in the Owia area and last month they netted over 100 pounds of cannabis and 25 mature cannabis plants in the Duvale mountains.

Leroy Nanton and Auryn Lorraine, both farmers of Owia, were arrested in relation to the drugs, but were granted bail until their next court appearance on April 28, 2017. (AS)