- drug trafficker tells court

A 32-year-old man who admitted having a quantity of cannabis and cocaine in his possession for the purpose of trafficking at the Mackenzie Market Square, Linden told Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson, “Ya Worship I ain’t want fuh be no robber man so I had to do wah I had to do.”

Jermaine Harding of Wismar, Linden pleaded guilty to two charges of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking before being ordered to pay a fine of $10,000 and serve three years imprisonment.

He admitted that on October 1 at the Mackenzie Market Square, Linden, he had 41.5 grammes of cannabis and 26 grammes of cocaine in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.

The porkknocker, in his bid to explain his actions to the court stated that he is a father of four. “Ow ya Worship I gah provide fuh them. I gah buy clothes fuh them and right now I gah a lil house I trying fuh build.”
He said, “I had to do something fuh geh lil money cause me mother had a surgery fuh she eye and me father gah a stroke so I had fuh do something fuh keep me head above water.”

Harding, now in tears, told the magistrate that he was released from prison on May 19 this year after serving three years for a similar offence.

He said that the police had caught him and another man smoking cannabis together.

He went on to say, “Ya Worship, I didn’t want come in front ah you fuh snatching no chain and being a robber man, so wha’ever you decide fuh do to me ah beg fuh leniency.”

Meanwhile, Prosecutor Kevin London stated that on the day of the incident at about 08:30 hrs, the police were on mobile patrol at Mackenzie Market Square, Linden when they observed Harding behaving suspiciously.

A search was conducted on Harding’s person and the cocaine was found wrapped in a multi-coloured head-tie in his hands, while the cannabis was found in a haversack that he had on him.

The magistrate sentenced Harding to three years imprisonment for each of the offences but told him that the sentences will run concurrently.

As Harding was being escorted out of the court he was heard saying, “I will be a changed man from now on.”