Senior citizen charged with ganja possession

The marijuana that Bertram Millington purchased from a man on the street for $50 ended up costing him much more at the Serious Offences Court on Monday.{{more}}

Millington, 62, a farmer of Calder Ridge pleaded guilty to having cannabis in his possession and was fined $650 for having 307 grams of the substance on February 29, 2008 in Kingstown.

Chief Magistrate Sonya Young gave him one month in which to pay the fine or he will go to prison for four months.

Information reaching the court stated that at about 12pm members of the Rapid Response Unit were on mobile patrol in Kingstown when they received certain information.

Acting on that information, the officer went to a “Mr Samuel” shop in the Middle Street area where they met the defendant.

PC 93 Bailey noticed a bag next to Millington and he was asked if the bag belonged to him. He answered in the affirmative. A requested search on the bag turned up two transparent plastic bags with plant material resembling cannabis.

Millington was cautioned and told the officers, “Ah jus buy it fo ah $50 from a man.”

When he appeared in court, Millington told the Magistrate that someone asked him if he wanted some weed to buy and he said yes. He added that he paid $50 for the illegal substance and that he was only going to smoke it.

“You’re an old man, you are supposed to be resting up yourself and not this,” said Magistrate Young.