Elderly woman charged with cocaine possession

A 54 year-old woman of Caratal, charged with cocaine possession admitted to Senior Magistrate Sonya Young that she was going to sell the drug to “make a small change.”{{more}}

Rhona Daniel appeared at the Serious Offences Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to possession of 25 grams of cocaine on March 2, 2010.

Daniel was ordered to pay $1,500 in one month or in default, spend seven months in prison.

The court heard that around 12:40 p.m. members of the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) went to Daniel’s home to execute a search warrant. During the search, a female police officer found a black bag containing 15 small aluminum wraps containing the controlled substance. When cautioned, Daniel replied: “Officer me na no nutting bout that.”

When asked where she got the drugs, Daniel said she was afraid to disclose that information. Counsel for Daniel, Patricia Marks told the court that her client is traumatized by the incident and is remorseful for her actions. Marks also noted that she did not waste the court’s time and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

Senior Magistrate Sonya Young reaffirmed her stance as it relate to cocaine possession. “Cocaine kills your brain cells. You must not allow people to use you,” Young urged. The magistrate added that she does not take cocaine lightly and that cocaine means prison. “If they bring you again, I am going to send you to prison,” Young warned.