By FARRAH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A COOK, caught with marijuana brownies that the prosecution said he intended to sell, was fined $8,000 yesterday.
Witfield Braynen, Jr, was arrested after officers found the brownies and two separate packages of Indian hemp in his home on January 1. The drugs had a combined value of $6,800.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of dangerous drug possession with the intent to supply during a hearing before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis.
The court was told that that night officers went to Braynen Jr’s Coral Harbour home with a search warrant. Upon their arrival, they informed the accused of their search and began their investigation. Braynen Jr then escorted the officers to a bedroom he occupied and showed them a red shoe box in his closet that contained a wrapping with a quantity of suspected marijuana. The accused then led the officers to his kitchen where he pointed out a pan of marijuana brownies he made and told them he was a cook who prepared the baked goods for his consumption. During their search, officers also made checks of a hole in Braynen Jr’s residence, and found a bag with two pounds of Indian hemp in it. They also recovered a plastic bag with five Xanax pills from the accused’s car. He was subsequently arrested and taken to the Drug Enforcement Unit where he admitted to the offences in an interview with police.
During the hearing, Braynen Jr was represented by lawyer Bjorn Ferguson. He told the magistrate his client pleaded guilty at his earliest opportunity and noted that he assisted the police with their investigation. He also said the accused had baked the brownies to celebrate with his friends, but now acknowledged his wrongdoing.
After listening to Mr Ferguson’s plea in mitigation, Magistrate Rolle Davis fined Braynen Jr $8,000 or one year behind bars.
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