Union Island man fined $9,000 on cocaine charges

A Union Island/Chester Cottage man, who pleaded guilty to illegal possession and trafficking of cocaine was fined $9000, $3000 of which was to be paid immediately.

Junior Deroche, 28, appeared at the Serious Offences Court before Senior Magistrate Colin John yesterday, April 7, 2025 where he was fined for illegal cocaine possession and trafficking. He was charged that on April 5, 2025 at Cumberland, he had in his possession 245 grammes of cocaine with intent to supply to another; and for the purpose of drug trafficking.

The facts presented in court are that about 3:57 p.m on the date in question, Sergeant 615 Williams acting on information received, headed a party of police officers on duty in search of a white car. Upon arriving in the vicinity of Cumberland, Sgt Williams saw a car coming from the direction of Spring Village heading toward Troumaca.

PC 487 Glasgow, who was a member of the police party, signalled the driver to stop the vehicle, the driver complied. Sgt Williams, along with other police officers, approached the car. While doing so, Williams noticed that there were four male occupants in the car and that one of them who was seated behind the driver displayed a particular behaviour, so she told him to relax.

Sgt Williams identified herself and the party as police officers dressed in plain clothes and informed them of their duties. She then questioned each occupant to obtain their names and addresses. The men were fishermen from Union Island and Chester Cottage. Their ages ranged from 24-28 years. Williams asked them if they had anything illegal on their person or in the vehicle to declare, and they all said “no”.

She then requested a search of their person and the car, to which they all consented. A search was carried out on each person and nothing illegal was found. Sgt Williams carried out a search on the car in the presence of the occupants. In the glove compartment, a zip lock bag was found.

The bag contained two transparent plastic bags with a whitish, powdery substance resembling cocaine. A small, grey, digital scale with cocaine residue on it was also found. Sgt Williams showed her findings to all the men in the presence of PC Glasgow and cautioned them. Deroche replied “Officer, the cocaine belongs to me, and the scale. Is the truth I telling you.”

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