Woman appeals cocaine sentence

Twenty-three-year-old Natasha John of Fair Hall, who was imprisoned for cocaine last week, has issued an application of appeal.
John, represented by lawyer Ronald Marks, is appealing against her sentence on the ground that it was harsh.{{more}}
John was sentenced to 14 months in prison last week when she appeared before the Serious Offences Court, charged with possessing 1,963 grammes of cocaine with intent to supply.
John was arrested at the E.T. Joshua Airport August 21, 2002, after officers from the Narcotics Division found packages of cocaine in the lining of her suitcase.
When she appeared in court on several occasions, she pleaded not guilty and her trial was adjourned. However, she pleaded guilty to the charge.
During last week’s hearing, John’s lawyer asked the court for leniency as he presented mitigating factors. He contended that she had co-operated with police in their investigations by giving names of those involved in the transaction, and that she had a seven-month old baby.
The aggravating feature, however, as has been espoused by the court’s prosecutor, Sergeant Adolphus Delpesche, was that the cocaine, which is Class A drug, was intended for transportation from this country.