Teen on drug charges lies about parents' death

Judge Brodrick Smith was quite displeased when he heard that a teenager who was charged with various drug charges had lied about her parents being dead when she appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Friday.

The 16-year-old is charged with possession, dealing in ganja, taking steps to export ganja and conspiracy.

The investigating officer told the court that when checks were made, most of what the teen had reported was a lie.

"Your Honour, she told us that her parents had died in a car crash and when we did our checks, we found out that her mother lives overseas and her father lives in Manchester," she said.

The teen's grandmother, who was in court, confirmed the police's findings.

When Smith asked what she had to say for herself, she responded through her lawyer that she did not make any such statement.

However, Smith was not moved by her response.

"I am bothered by the misrepresentation of your client. What we have is a form ... and it does not bear out what your client said. I see nothing that would indicate that the investigating officer would fabricate something against you in that manner," he said.

However, the investigating officer said that after saying her parents were dead, an officer remarked that "she bad lucky".

The investigating officer said the teen responded with, "A nuh me bad lucky, a dem. Me still deh yah."

Smith stated that a serious offence of this nature cannot be dismissed. He, however, set the case for mention on April 24 because of the outstanding forensic report.