The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Court Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was ordered to pay a $15,000 fine after he admitted to having 10 lbs of marijuana in his possession.

Winston Watson, 48, represented by attorney Maria Daxon, appeared before Senior Magistrate Derence A Rolle Davis on a charge of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply.

Police pulled him over for suspicious behaviour on December 9 on Milo Butler Highway. Watson was arrested after 10 lbs of marijuana was uncovered during a search of his van. The drugs have an estimated street value of $25,000.

In court, the accused pleaded guilty to the offence. He was ordered to pay a fine of $15,000 or risk 18 months in prison. Watson is expected to make the first payment of his fine by Friday.

In a separate case, Carl Culmer, 42, Nehemiah Culmer, 22, and Bruce Sears, 22, all represented by Alphonso Lewis stood before Magistrate Rolle Davis for a shared charge of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply.

Around 4.49pm, police acting on a search warrant entered a home on Alexandria Blvd in Nassau Village over suspected dangerous drugs or firearms. There they found Nehemiah trying to flush six plastic packages containing suspected marijuana down the toilet. A further search of the premises with the assistance of a K-9 unit found a further two plastic bags with Indian hemp buried in a pit outside. It was confirmed that these drugs were all Indian hemp with a collective weight of 6 ¼ oz.

In a subsequent police interview, both Culmers admitted to the offence stating that they had the drugs for their own personal use.

Carl and Nehemiah Culmer pleaded guilty while their co-accused Sears pleaded not guilty. This resulted in the charges against the third accused being withdrawn and him being formally discharged.

During Mr Lewis’s plea of mitigation, he said that Carl was the father of seven young children. He said that both accused were remorseful for their actions. The attorney then asked that they be spared a custodial sentence, and urged the court to impose a fine instead.

Magistrate Rolle Davis ordered each Culmer to pay a $1,000 fine for the offence or risk six months in custody. He told them that half of their fines must be paid before their release with the remainder to be paid to the court by December 28.