Pregnant woman among trio remanded on ganja trafficking charge

A pregnant woman was among three persons who were remanded to prison yesterday after police charged them with being in possession of marijuana for drug trafficking.

Natoya Osborne, 19, and her common-law husband Ziggy Webster, 22, and their friend Julius Joyce landed themselves at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts after it was alleged that they were found in possession of 255 grammes of cannabis.

The three friends were caught with the cannabis at Middle Road, La Penitence.

When the charges were read to them by Magistrate Ann McLennan, all three pleaded not guilty.

Julius Joyce
Julius Joyce

Osborne, a housewife, and Webster, a dredge owner, reside at Lot 164 Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara. Joyce was described as a miner.

Ziggy Webster
Ziggy Webster

The couple’s lawyer Paul Fung-A-Fat, who told the court that Osborne is three months pregnant, said that his clients were visitors at the house where the cannabis was found.

Fung-A-Fat added that a lot of persons have access to the house and he said he was aware of two other women that were in the house but the police released them. He also said there was no evidence against his clients.

Joyce, who was unrepresented, added, “I de just come out de bush when my friend call me and told me to come there.” The man said he was there for less than a half hour and he knew nothing about the cannabis.

But Prosecutor Deniro Jones, who objected to bail, told the court that police, acting on information that was provided to them, found the three accused in a bedroom in the house with the narcotics.

He also noted there were no special circumstances for bail to be considered. As a result, the court denied bail and the three accused were remanded to prison until November 24th, when the case will be called at Court Three.