Woman ordered to pay $6,000 after pleading guilty to cannabis possession
From the Courts
July 19, 2013
Woman ordered to pay $6,000 after pleading guilty to cannabis possession

Metheline Alexander, a 38-year-old mother of three, was on Wednesday fined $6,000 at the Serious Offences Court, after she pleaded guilty to possession of six pounds (3165 grams) of marijuana.{{more}}

Chief Magistrate Sonya Young requested that $3,000 be paid forthwith, with time given to the Fancy woman to pay the remainder.

However, the magistrate’s demand was not met and Alexander was remanded. She should have returned to court yesterday.

Initially, Alexander was jointly charged with Brenisha Alexander and Barbadian Antonio Sandiford.

However, the prosecution did not proceed with the charge against them.

The court heard that at about 1:20 a.m. on July 15, Corporal Harry of the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) led a party of men to Alexander’s house, but she was not at home.

Brenisha Alexander and Sandiford were, however, there and they consented to the search.

In one of the bedrooms, police constable Mohammed Lavia found a brown taped package containing the drug.

Acting on information received, the officers then went to a house nearby and met Metheline there.

She was then taken to the Calliaqua Police Station where the drug was weighed.

In mitigation, Metheline’s laywer, Michaela Ambrose, informed the magistrate that her client has no previous convictions and was recently employed in Canouan, but was laid off.

She added that her client was remorseful for her actions.

“I’m humbly asking the court for a financial penalty and a suspended sentence that can be enough of a deterrent for her,” Ambrose pleaded.

Ambrose said according to her instructions, someone had brought the drugs to the house. The lawyer said her client did not know the drug was there or when it was delivered.

The magistrate, however, said the drug was well packaged and prepared for travel.

The magistrate told Alexander that a conviction of this type will not help her to get work in Canouan and that it will be difficult to secure a job elsewhere.

“I don’t particularly need your money. I would rather put you in prison, but I consider your three children…,” Young said.(KW)