Dancer gets six months for swallowing 50 ganja pellets

A dancer will be 'jigging' from behind bars for the next two months after he swallowed 50 cylindrical pellets of ganja and attempted to travel to Barbados with them.

Michael Downer, 32, of Hope Pastures, St Andrew, pleaded guilty to the charges of possession and taking steps to export ganja when he appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court yesterday.

Reports are that on February 4, at about 12:30 p.m., Downer arrived at the Norman Manley International Airport to board a Caribbean Airlines flight to Barbados.

Airport security checked his luggage but nothing illegal was found.

He was however taken to the narcotics division where he was interviewed.

He confessed that he had ingested ganja and was then taken to hospital where he expelled the pellets over two days.

The overall weight was 15.8 ounces.

After pleading guilty, Downer admitted he committed the act for his own personal gain and added, "I just regret doing this because I know better."

Judge Andrea Collins then handed down her sentencing of $4,000 or 30 days for possession, $8,000 or 60 days for taking steps to export, plus 60 days, which is to run concurrent and consecutive.