Court fines man for cocaine found in girlfriend’s crotch

A lawyer arguing his client’s poor choice of friends and a 10-year hiatus in crime, was able to knock jailtime out of the equation for cocaine possession.

Shawn Garraway was on the precipice of being admitted to the big house last week Friday, after pleading guilty to possession of 46g of cocaine in Prospect the day before.

Garraway chose to plead guilty, while his girlfriend Tamara Williams, pleaded not guilty. After hearing the plea, and the facts, Senior Prosecutor Adolphus Delplesche withdrew the charge against Williams.

PC 615 La Fleur Williams made the arrest last Thursday, after, armed with a warrant, she proceeded to the home and business place of Garraway. Moving from the house, where nothing illegal was found, the police officers went to the liquor and provision shop of the defendant, located near to his home.

Garraway’s girlfriend was at the shop, and the officer took her to be searched at an outside toilet.

Located in her crotch, the police found a brown taped package with cocaine inside.

“Officer is somebody give me to hold,” she told them.

When her boyfriend learnt of it, he said “Officer is mines own.”

Both were arrested.

Stephen Williams began his mitigation with the normal observations, the first being that his client had pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity and had not wasted the court’s time.

His client has two children, he informed, one 16-year-old, and one nine-year-old girl, “who unfortunately had to be without two parents last night,” the lawyer stated.

The lawyer claimed that a young man had come to the business place shortly before the police, and gave Garraway a package to hold. The defence lawyer said that Garraway ‘stupidly’ agreed, and within five minutes the cops had descended. He noted that Garraway had co-operated with the police in all respects.

“I know him, and I know he had made some changes in his life,” Stephen Williams told the chief magistrate. “So unfortunate that sometimes friends lead you down a path,” he continued.
The year 2008 saw the last addition to Garraway’s criminal record.

Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias accepted the request of a fine, and chose to impose one amounting to $12,000.

Garraway had to pay $3,000 forthwith, in default of which he would have spent 10 months in jail. He must pay $2,000 by July 31, or spend eight months, and $7,000 by October 19, or spend a year incarcerated.

Stephen Williams accompanied his client outside of the courtroom, using his own papers to shield Garraway from the cameras, that he had observed even before Garraway.

After the lawyer dropped the papers in his haste, they both picked them up, and Garraway used them to shield his face.

Garraway approached one journalist, and pushed his hand over the camera lens to prevent his picture being taken, while his lawyer walked quietly beside him.