KINGSTON, Jamaica, Nov 28, CMC – A British national, who pleaded guilty to charges of possession of, dealing in, and attempting to export cocaine, has been slapped with a fine of J$750,000 (one Jamaica dollar=US$0.008 cents) .
In passing sentence at the St James Parish Court, Justice Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton, said for too often, persons visit Jamaica “and on their way out of this beautiful country, they are held with cocaine.
“What that does is that it tarnishes the name of this beautiful countr, the Judge said, adding, “I have to send a message to those who think that Jamaica is a safe haven for them to come and export cocaine”.
The court heard that 53-year-old Glenn Mason, a resident of London, England, was held with 1.5 pounds of cocaine on September 30 hidden inside two pairs of slippers at the Sangster International Airport as he awaited to board his flight to London.
Mason was ordered to pay a fine of J$200,000 or spend three months in prison for possession of cocaine, J$250,000 or three months for dealing in cocaine, and J$300,000 or four months for attempting to export cocaine.
His attorney, Suwayne Phillips, had earlier in her mitigation plea, urged Justice Fairclough-Hylton to consider mitigating factors such as the excellent social enquiry report and Mason’s inability to work since 1996 due to a work-related accident.
“He suffered certain injuries on the job in 1996 and has been unable to work since then and has to be getting assistance from the State,” she said, adding that her clients’s spouse, who had been providing financial assistance for his legal fees, died recently, and that other family members were currently unable to assist him.
“I also ask that you pay attention to the fact that his spouse is dead. She died one week after he pleaded guilty, and he stated that she would have been the person to assist him,” Phillips explained.
He does not receive any assistance from family members because his mother is dead and his father is elderly,” the attorney stated, further explaining that a brother who is willing to assist is unable to do so due to reliance on a pension for income.
However, during the sentencing process, Fairclough-Hylton informed Mason that his conduct had contributed to the tarnishing of Jamaica’s image.
CMC/af/gf/2024