Acting Chief Magistrate Cecil Sullivan on Tuesday remanded to prison a man who was allegedly found with cannabis in a bag after the police gave chase when he reportedly tried to avoid a roadblock.
According to the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court report, Whitney Semple, on January 11, at Manari Public Road, Central Rupununi, allegedly had in his possession 1998 grammes of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking. Semple’s attorney, Winston Murray, told the court that his client was the pillion rider on a motorcycle and on approaching the roadblock the biker decided to turn the bike around and abandon it.
The police, he said, went to the scene and found a bag, some distance away, with the substance. Murray said his client has denied knowledge of the contents and ownership of the bag.
He said Semple usually transports salt beef to the interior and brings out other items.
Murray also said that from childhood his client has suffered with severe bouts of epilepsy and that the frequent occurrence has affected his client’s normalcy and that he is not in the best health.
During his incarceration he said Semple suffered as many as three episodes per day. He said too that Semple needs to be under constant and close supervision. Murray submitted that the special circumstances he listed were enough for his client to be granted bail.
In her submissions Police Prosecutor Maxine Graham asked that Semple be denied bail. Graham said that as Semple and the other gentleman approached the roadblock the pillion rider jumped off and the police gave chase and found Semple with the bag.
Semple was ordered to appear at the Lethem Magis-trate’s Court on March 6.
