Guard who claimed he used drugs to stay awake fined, jailed

A security guard who admitted to having in his possession two grammes of cannabis and three grammes of cocaine was yesterday ordered to do three weeks community service and pay a $15,000 fine, along with three years imprisonment after he said that he used the drugs to stay awake at nights.

The allegation against Orlando Bristol is that on February 8, at West Front Road, he had in his possession two grammes of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

It is also alleged that on February 8, at West Front Road, Bristol had in his possession three grammes of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

Bristol pleaded guilty to the narcotics charges when they were read to him by Magistrate Alan Wilson.

Police Prosecutor Burgett Grant explained that on the day in question, the police were on foot patrol, when the observed that the accused acting in a suspicious manner.

He was stopped and a search was conducted on his person. A whitish substance suspected to be cocaine along with a few leaves and stems suspecting to be cannabis along with five paper wrappings were found in his back pocket.

The substances were weighed in his presence and he was subsequently charged.

“Your worship I does use this thing to help me stay awake at nights when I working security, but I don’t mek it a practice”, Bristol told the court.

He added that it was his first offence and that he would not repeat the offence.

After listening to both sides, the magistrate ordered that Bristol do three weeks community service under supervision and pay a $5,000 fine for the possession of cannabis.

He further ordered that Bristol pay a $10,000 fine and serve three years imprisonment for the possession of cocaine.