Murder accused caught with ganja

A 32-year-old man who breached his bail condition to secure money to pay for his sick mother's hospital bill was remanded in custody when he appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court yesterday.

The defendant, Dave Ricketts, is before the Home Circuit Court on trial for murder. It was shared that Ricketts was on bail with conditions that he was to report to the police twice weekly and was not to be seen in the Kingston Central area. He is to reside in St Thomas. However, on July 8 at 6:15 a.m., police on patrol along Luke Lane observed Ricketts with a white shopping bag in his hand acting in a suspicious manner. The police approached him and requested a search of his bag to which he reluctantly complied. During the search, loose vegetable matter resembling ganja was seen in the bag. Ricketts was then cautioned for possession of ganja to which he said "Offica, mi mother in the hospital and mi just a try a thing."

He was later charged for possession of and dealing in ganja. He pleaded guilty before Senior Parish Judge Lori-Anne Cole-Montaque yesterday. The weight of the substance is said to be a quarter pound.

"Orders are made for reasons and judges don't just sit down in court and say 'Okay, we are going to have this person not come to this area or reside elsewhere'. You are before the court on the capital charge, on bail, you are given an order not to be in a particular place. Even if somebody dead down there, you are not supposed to go and then found with ganja, the dealing quantity. People need fi start fraid a court again, yuh hear? People need to start having that fear. The society is too lawless," the senior jurist indicated.

Cole-Montaque explained there is a level of unruly behaviour observed in the country, where persons charged with serious offences are bold enough to walk into a police station with knives and guns. In January, Orlando Lee, of a Blenheim district, Manchester, address, reportedly fired at the police when he went to report at the Cross Keys Police Station as a condition of his bail.

"He is going to remain where he is. It is the most serious charge and I will not take light of it. Having a sick mother is not sufficient," the judge said. For possession of ganja, Ricketts was fined $4,000 or three months' imprisonment and for dealing in ganja, he was fined $8,000 or six months' imprisonment.

He is expected to return to the Home Circuit Court on July 29. - T.T.