Francois to pay $40,000 for cannabis possession

Fitz Hughes resident Danroy François has to come up with $ 40,000 or spend the next two and a half years behind bars.{{more}}

The 21-year-old appeared at the Serious Offences Court on December 1 and pleaded guilty to having in his possession 37,682 grams (86 pounds) of Cannabis at Dark View Mountains on Friday, 28 November. It is estimated that the Cannabis has a street value of $41,500.

Chief Magistrate Sonya Young also fined François $2,500 for cultivating forty Cannabis plants. Failure to pay the fine would result in the father of one spending seven months imprisoned.

The Court heard that Rapid Response Unit (RRU) officers were on duty in the Dark View Mountains where they saw the defendant in the plantation moulding and weeding the illegal plants. He was cautioned and he said “de weed them a mine, the other two only went there to help me”.

Francois was jointly charged with 17-year-old Bennett Carter, of Fitz Hughes, and Keithroy Frankly, 23, of Chateaubelair. Their charges were dismissed after they pleaded not guilty. They were represented by Lawyer Ronald Marks.(VM)