Out of work pork knocker gets three years in jail for growing cannabis

A port knocker was yesterday sentenced to three years in jail after he admitted to farming marijuana in the interior.

Deon Gibson, 47, of 65 East Ruimveldt, told the Georgetown court of Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan that the reason why he planted the prohibited plant was because he was jobless.

Deon Gibson

The charge read to him stated that on May 4, at Mabura trail, he cultivated cannabis. Gibson pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read to him by the Chief Magistrate.

According to Police Prosecutor Arvin Moore, at around 11.30 am on May 4, the police, acting on information, went to 3 Miles Mabura trail, where they saw Gibson spraying a substance on several plants, suspecting to be cannabis. Moore said that there were about 300 plants that were six feet in height. According to the prosecutor, the police arrested Gibson, took a sample of the plant and later destroyed the small, cultivated field.

When asked by the chief magistrate why he cultivated the plant, Gibson said that apart from being unemployed, he had a child to look after and he did not want to get involved in any problems in Georgetown.

The Chief Magistrate later sentenced him to three years in prison and fined him $15,000.