St Lucian man denies coming to collect drugs
St Lucian Dyka Mathurin, 23, is adamant that he never came to St Vincent to collect drugs, but only to visit his relatives and friends.{{more}}
The Vieux Fort resident was hauled before the Serious Offences Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to entering the country illegally on January 11, at Chateaubelair.
He will be sentenced tomorrow â Wednesday.
The court heard that on January 12, police in the North Windward district were on patrol when the defendant was seen in the company of another man around 7 a.m.
When questioned by the police officers, Mathurin said he was from St Lucia and came via a speedboat named âGorgeousâ the previous day.
The facts also said that Mathurin indicated that he came here to collect drugs.
In court, Mathurin denied telling the officers that he came here to collect drugs.
âI only came to visit friends and relatives…â he said.
When asked about the name of his relative, he could only provide the court with a first name. Mathurin also said he came to visit a friend by the name of Dillon St Patrick of Bottom Town (Rose Place).
He said it was his first visit to St Vincent.
Chief Magistrate Sonya Young said she is fully aware of what goes on in Chateaubelair.
âYou came to visit your friend in Bottom Town and you liming in Chateaubelair. This allows me to think you came here for criminal activity…â Young said.
âIâve gone to St Lucia many times and I do so the right way. I donât go snooping around. Iâm not an idiot. I resent when foreigners come onto my soil to commit crime. That upsets me greatly. And when you are caught and you still mean you must lie to me, itâs game over,â Young said.
Mathurin told the court that he was working with a contractor named Neal James in St Lucia and provided the court with a contact number for him.
âI am going to get in touch with the authorities over there and try getting on to this Neal James … Where Iâm going to pitch you, you wouldnât see the light of day for sometime,â she told the St Lucian man.
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