Norton St grandfather sentenced to four years for 34 kg of ganja

A Norton Street grandfather was yesterday sentenced to four years imprisonment and fined $30,000 after admitting to possession of narcotics when he appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman.

Stanley Pile, 59, of Norton Street, pleaded guilty to a charge which stated that he had in his possession 34.048 kilogrammes of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) Prosecutor Konyo Sandiford in presenting the facts to the court said that on Sunday, CANU officers went to Pile’s home at Camp and Norton streets, where they conducted a search.

Sandiford said that while searching the upper flat of the home, in a “makeshift room,” the CANU officers found three cartons and two barrels containing concealed packages of leaves, seeds and stems.

Stanley Pile

The prosecutor related to the court that Pile, the only person at home at the time, was cautioned upon the discovery but he remained silent. At CANU headquarters, Pile reportedly took ownership of the narcotics which had been found. He told the officers that he had been given the drugs “by someone from over the river.”

Pile, before the sentence was handed down, asked for the court to be lenient with him since he is a father of seven and grandfather of five, and has small children.

The court was also informed by Sandiford that investigations are ongoing in relation to another suspect.